The train clattered steadily along the tracks, a rhythmic clinking beneath Erza's strict voice as she laid out what she'd learned.
Her posture was rigid, eyes sharp, tone clipped. The atmosphere inside the cabin had shifted to a serious edge—if you ignored the occasional ZAP from Natsu every few seconds.
Gray looked at erza confused "Lullaby isn't that a sleeping melody name." He scratched his head , "Am I missing something."
Lucy hummed. "Lullaby-lullaby where have I heard that wait.....isnt that the name of cursed object that can kill anyone who hears it." As her expression turned into one of pure terror.
Erza nods. "During my return i stopped at a tavern where i overheard a bunch of people discussing something related to a cursed object, at first i ignored it until I heard the name Erigor , the dark mage from Eisenwald guild who only takes assassination jobs ,which is why he came to be known as Erigor the shinigami, it seems that they have obtained information about the flute known as Lullaby."
Erza continued arms crossed ignoring their looks, "and as you described lucy, lullaby is a cursed artifact created by Zeref. If activated, the spell will—"
ZAP.
Natsu jerked stiffly in his seat like a puppet, face momentarily blank before he sat up again. "So we need to beat some shinigami bum leave it to me."
Another zap as natsu slumped over again. No one even reacted anymore.
Lucy looked slightly terrified as she mutters clutching plue the small snowman spirit "What did I get into and also what is a dark mage and dark guild ?."
Erza turns to lucy confused, "You don't know what a dark guild or mage is..... ."
Lucy looked down embarrassed as erza sighed explaining , "They are mages and guilds who take illegal jobs and commit crimes , so they are wanted criminals in fiore and extremely dangerous that even ERA and council of guild masters all agreed to take them down on spot."
Lucy took notes, eyebrows scrunched. "S-So it's that dangerous…i should have stayed back." as she clutches happy who after seeing water beneath lucy seat muttered. "Lucy your juice is leaking."
Lucy shrieked punching him. "It's not mine, it's water from Plue and don't make stupid jokes on such moments when I am already scared."
"It's extremely dangerous lucy but don't worry I will ensure nothing will happen to anyone." Erza assured her.
Kai, meanwhile, sat slouched with his arms behind his head, golden eyes half-lidded, head tilted slightly as though he were listening to Erza and also not listening at all.
He wasn't listening to whatever they said after erza had mentioned the name lullaby his expression had already lost like some mad scientist discovering a new material which was true for him as they could hear him mutter occasionally.
*Living crused artifact capable of killing through sound, centuries old with unknown material and magic core , potential new materials and life infusion so much new material to take*
They all gave him a look before continuing to talk their own plan.
But as kai's mind was lost in thoughs of dismantaling tne flute—something tuggeed at his awareness like a faint vibration in a web as he finally looks up.
"—and according to what I overheard, Eisenwald intends to—"
Kai stood.
Not abruptly.
Not startlingly.
Just… smoothly, like he had always intended to be somewhere else, and had only now decided the time was right.
By the time Lucy blinked, Kai was already at the sliding door to the next cabin.
"Kai?" Lucy whispered.
He didn't answer.
His fist shot sideways—straight through the wall.
Wood cracked. Metal dented. A scream erupted from the other side—
And then the next cabin exploded.
The entire train lurched violently, the shockwave rattling windows and sending Lucy crashing into the seat.
"What the—?!" Gray jumped up.
"WHAT HAPPENED?!" Someone shouted from two cars behind them.
Erza stood instantly, sword appearing in her hand in a single gleam of red magic. "Kai! What was that?!"
Kai calmly pulled his fist from the shattered wall, dusting off knuckles.
"I felt someone standing right here." he said casually, as if he hadn't just punched through a train wall. "I was ignoring it for a while. But he stayed too long to be a bystandar. So I focused."
He tapped his temple with two fingers.
"Dark magic. Thick. Familiar. And very stupidly close to us."
Lucy's blood chilled. "You mean—"
"That was likely a member of Eisenwald," Kai finished. "Possibly even the one carrying Lullaby."
The entire group froze realising they might have been this close to a cursed artifact that could kill with sound.
Natsu twitched again before getting up and shouting. "Let's go we should catch him, i really want to fight someone on a train , i want to know how it feels without motion sickness."
Zap, another shock came as natsu froze, gray just sighs staring at him. "If you fight like this freezing every two seconds that guy would laugh at you flame brain."
Natsu annoyed jumps at gray. "What did you say ice fairy, I can beat you and that mage with my eyes closed."
Erza's jaw clenched. "Shut up both of you we need to go after him."
She moved toward the broken wall, preparing to jump out—
—but Kai blocked her path with one arm.
"No."
Erza stared confused. "What are you doing?, Move."
"No."
"Kai—"
"Think for a second Red."
His tone softened, but carried a sharp logic underneath.
"You knew their plan, it's not unlikely that they will be expecting someone to discover them as well." His eyes flicked toward the others. "This guy being a decoy is a very likely scenario and if all of us leave the train, the station will be at risk."
Even Erza hesitated.
Kai tilted his head. "You handle the station. I'll chase the runner."
He turned toward the gash in the train—
"Wait."
Erza grabbed his wrist.
"If that person truly has Lullaby… you may be in danger."
Kai stopped. Looked back over his shoulder. The amusement in his eyes was undeniable.
"Red are you really worried about me or more worried that I'll use that artifact ?" he asked amused.
Erza's grip tightened. She didn't confirm… but she didn't deny it either.
Lucy stared between them. Their dynamic was… complicated.
"Lucy. Happy," Erza said suddenly, turning to the blonde celestial mage and the Exceed.
They both blinked.
"Go with Kai."
"WHAT?!" both shouted at once.
Erza crouched, lowering her voice to Lucy. "I can't leave. I need someone here to manage the station with Natsu and Gray. And I can't send those two idiots with Kai."
"HEY!" the idiots in question barked.
Erza ignored them.
"He is close to them so he won't hesitate to beat them unconscious. Or tie them up. Or throw them off a cliff. Or hand them a bomb."
"You say that like he's done that before…" Lucy whispered.
Erza did not meet her eyes.
Lucy paled.
"Kai won't do that to you," Erza continued. "You're not… close enough to him yet. He won't hurt you."
Lucy blinked. "…But he beat you and you are also a girl."
Erza sighed. "That's because we have been friends for a long time you have not."
"W-What kind of logic is THAT—"
"Just go."
Lucy gulped and nodded stiffly.
Happy saluted, trembling. "A-Aye…"
Lucy frowned. "But wait—the guy jumped off the train minutes ago! And the train is still moving! By the time we stop—"
"We'll never catch up," Happy finished miserably.
Kai finally turned around, looking thoroughly amused.
"You two done panicking?" he asked. "Good. Come on."
He grabbed Happy by the back of his vest.
"Wahh! Put me down!"
"Get on blondie." Kai turned to lucy.
Then he crouched slightly so Lucy could climb onto his back.
She flushed but did as she was told before asking. "W-Wait—how are we supposed to stop the train—?!"
Kai grabbed the ceiling rod with one hand.
"Who said anything about stopping?"
And then—
He flipped.
Backwards.
Through the hole in the wall.
Lucy screamed. Happy screamed louder.
They hung upside down for a full horrifying second—Lucy clinging to Kai's shoulders, Happy flapping wildly—before Kai twisted midair and landed perfectly on top of the train.
Lucy and Happy collapsed limply on top of him.
"We're alive…?" Lucy whispered.
Kai didn't answer.
He was already moving.
He sprinted along the roof, wind tearing through his slicked-back hair, coat flaring, the two passengers clinging to him for dear life.
"K-Kai—SLOW DOWN!" Lucy cried.
"Why? Where's the fun in that?"
"FUN?!"
He reached into his pouch one-handed.
Lucy stared in disbelief. "YOU'RE TINKERING WHILE RUNNING?!"
Kai hummed. "Efficiency."
Metal pieces. Springs. Runes. Bits of enchanted scrap. tires and lacrima They danced between his fingers in impossible rhythm.
Then—he jumped lucy clutched his neck tight screaming while Happy grabbed on to his head.
Midair, he slapped both hands onto his shoes. A burst of blue light as a golden magic circle appears below him.
A spark.
A small magical circle flashed beneath the soles.
And then—
Wheels.
Literal wheels sprouted from his shoes with mechanical clicks.
"Oh no," Lucy whispered.
"Oh YES," Kai corrected cheerfully.
He landed, and the wheels hit the metal roof—
—AND HE SHOT FORWARD LIKE A BULLET.
Lucy: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA—
Happy: WE'RE GONNA DIE!!!
Kai: "Quit complaining, I even gave you safety handles."
Lucy glanced down on his shoulder and there actually was something...a metallic spider.
It was clinging to his shirt, just like happy was clinging to Lucy.
"…WHAT HANDLES ITS A METAL SPIDER?!"
Kai hummed. "That's pixie my pet hold on to its legs if you don't want to fly off, because we are about to take off."
As the end of the train approached, Lucy and happy squeezed their eyes shut grabbing one of Pixie's legs each as the spider then wrapped rest of its body around kai.
"We're gonna crash we're gonna crash we're gonna CRASH— Summon Aqurar-" Lucy shouted .
Kai smirked. "Feather Fall."
A soft white glow shimmered beneath them a magic circle the same one lucy remembred seeing when he had fought erza.
They drifted.
Gracefully.
Like someone had replaced gravity with cotton.
Lucy cracked an eye open. "…Oh we are safe." she quickly puts away the key knowing aquarius would kill her if she lost it or if kai stole it again.
Kai landed on the ground running.
Moments later, his wheels screeched onto the dirt path as he skated across the terrain—chasing the fleeing mage who'd leapt off the train.
Lucy finally dared to look up.
Ahead was a white-cloaked man sprinting through the underbrush.
"THAT'S HIM!" Happy pointed.
Kai continued skating effortlessly, closing the distance.
Lucy tightened her grip on him.
"Kai…are your skates safe or are they also going to explode?"
"Yeah maybe?"
"You're insane."
"Probably."
Happy sighed. "We know."
Kai grinned wider. "But you're not dead yet. So you're welcome."
Behind them, back on the train, Gray and Natsu stared out the broken wall, watching the trio shrink into the distance.
Natsu sagged, twitching. "I want to go as well."
Gray exhaled. "I don't know if I should admire you or beat you for wanting to fight in this condition."
Erza crossed her arms tightly, eyes following Kai's fading silhouette.
"…He'll handle it," she muttered.
Gray blinked. "Eh? You trust him?"
Erza didn't answer immediately.
Her fingers brushed the armor around her backside where she still felt the impact of the kick. The spot where Kai had whispered—softly, almost gently—before kicking her hard enough to send her flying.
She exhaled.
"Annoying as he is… yes."
Gray and Natsu exchanged a look.
Erza added under her breath:
"But if he uses the lullaby when he gets back…i will..."
Her eye twitched.
Gray looks at her confused asking. "When he gets back you will what?"
Erza sighs. "Nothing lets focus on our task we are already near the oshibana station, let's quickly track Erigor and his people so we can reach kai, lucy and happy before kai does something with that artifact."
Meanwhile in the guild master conference hall in clover town makarov was chatting animatedly with other guild masters like Blue Pegasus • Diabolos • Dullahan Head • Dwarf Gear • Fairy Tail • Gramlush • Hound Holy • Lamia Scale • Magia Dragon • Mermaid Heel • Mount Altana Guild • Orochi's Fin • Phoenix Grave • Quatro Cerberus
Bob the guild master of blue Pegasus laughs in his wierd way while spinning around. "Macky your wizards are so full of life, i even heard a someone new has joined."
Makarov laughs. "You mean lucy, yeah she just joined and tell you what she is very supple and vuluptuous."
Bob covered his face embarased. "So naughty."
Goldmine the guild master of quarto ceberus turns to makarov annoyed. "Your wizards may be free spirited but they are too destructive, the people on the council worry one of these days they will end up destroying an entire city, you should be careful."
Makarov just laughs taking another sip of his drink as he mutters jokingly. "I don't mind being destroyed by Lucy's body."
Bob laughs. "You shouldn't be involved with your wizards like this macky."
Just then bird floated towards them carrying a letter it called out gaining their attention. "Master makarov. Master makarov a letter form mirajane. Letter from mirajane."
Makarov turns towards the bird and grabs the letter before touching the seal on as it opened with a magic circle and mira appears in small hologram and calls out. "Master i am glad you reached the conference building without problem."
Makarov hums calling to other masters. "Hey everyone look at Mira this is our poster girl isn't she cute."
They all nodded staring at the projection. "Yeah she is beautiful, she has grown mature."
Mira laughs awkwardly at them before saying. "Actually i wanted to inform you that erza and kai returned yesterday and today they have taken a mission together. Natsu, erza, gray, lucy and kai all of them together this might be the strongest team in fairy tail right now master."
While mira was smiling happily makarov's soul had left his body as he mutters shaken completely. "Erza and Kai and natsu and gray in the same team working together, WHY?"
The other guild masters look at makarov with pity. "Poor thing seems like this time the council prediction might come true, but who is kai, I feel I have heard that name many times? "