The desert-edge wind cut past Kai's face as he skated across the uneven terrain, Lucy clinging to the back of his shirt while Happy latched onto his spider pixie like a terrified blue barnacle. The wheels he'd conjured beneath his feet—an improvised fusion of metal scraps, small crystals, and a rune-etched gear—cut through sand, dirt, pebbles, and grass as if the world's geography didn't matter.
His speed didn't falter once.
Lucy peeked over his shoulder, ponytail snapping behind her. "K-Kai? We're not… slowing down?"
"Nope," Kai answered casually, leaning his weight slightly to swerve around a jutting rock that should've sent them flying. "I'm letting the terrain do the work. Efficiency."
Happy peeked down and instantly regretted it. "Aye… we're gonna die…"
Kai hummed lazily. "Then die quietly. Wind resistance is annoying."
Lucy tightened her grip. "You're not funny!"
"I wasn't joking."
He wasn't panicking, wasn't even remotely tense. He looked like a man casually skating through Magnolia on a lazy afternoon, not a mage chasing a criminal carrying a cursed murder-flute.
And soon enough, the fleeing figure came into view.
A man sprinting at full speed, shadows flickering around him like smoke. White high-collared shirt. Navy pants. And on his back—a glaring, bold Eisenwald emblem.
Lucy frowned. "Kai… what's that symbol?"
"Eisenwald," Kai replied, eyes steady forward, tone utterly flat. "He's proud enough to wear it openly. Smart for recognition. Stupid for survival."
Happy gulped. " Kai how are you going to stop him?"
Kai didn't answer right away. He simply studied the dark mage, the way the shadows twisted around his legs, giving him bursts of speed. Kageyama's presence flickered—barely noticeable, hard to track for normal people.
But to Kai?
It was as loud as a man screaming in a quiet room.
Kai murmured almost lazily, "He seems to be heading towards Kunugi Station."
"You can tell that just by—?" Lucy started.
"I'm reading his path," Kai said. "People with purpose run differently ,besides the nearest city from here is onibas if he wanted to hide that was the obvious pick but instead he is taking the long route that cuts from mountais and only station near that is kunugi."
Lucy blinked. "That… is the vaguest explanation ever."
Kai tilted his head. "I don't owe the world clarity, blondie specially if you can't understand this much."
Lucy muttered something about him being insufferable, but didn't let go.
Kai's mind turned inward.
*Shadow magic… and the cursed artifact. Even if he's just a decoy, I'm still gaining something. Materials, knowledge, maybe something interesting to dismantle and if he turns out to be the real one i still get the flute just have beat an entire dark guild for that.*
Red, Gray, and Salamander could handle the bulk of Eisenwald. They were loud. They were flashy. They were perfect distractions.
Kai sped forward until the terrain softened—grass, trees, and the looming outline of Kunugi Station approaching.
"Alright," Kai said, dropping his speed. "Both of you get down."
"What do you—AAAH—!"
He flicked Lucy and Happy off in the same motion. They hit the ground rolling—but before they could even protest—
*fwip—*
Kai's form flickered like a candle in the wind.
Then vanished.
Shadow Steps.
He didn't become intangible. He didn't become a mist. But he moved so fast, so quietly, with such a muted presence that he might as well have vanished from reality.
Lucy gasped. "He's gone again!"
Happy pointed his tail at the direction Kageyama was running. "I think he went that way… maybe… probably?"
Lucy swallowed nervously. "E-Erza said he's reliable. Why doesn't it feel reliable…?"
**Kageyama's POV**
Kageyama sprinted, lungs burning, shadows rippling beneath his feet. Fear mixed with adrenaline. Eisenwald's plan had been discovered. Fairy Tail was already interfering.
But at least he'd stopped those brats on the train. He had managed to shake them off before they could interfere.
*Lost in thought kageyama didn't notice a shadow suddenly appear beside his own but there was no person and suddenly the shadow merged into his "
*A hand emerged from his shadow for a second and grabbed his foot*
"What—?!"
He crashed face-first into the dirt.
Pain flared across his nose. He spat, clutching his face. "Damn rock—!"
He pushed himself up, only to find.
*Nothing.*
He growled and tries to stand up muttering "I am jumping at shadows now… calm down. Focus on Erigor's plan. As long as I deliver Lullaby—"
A hand grabbed the back of his head by the hair and slammed it into the ground again.
"GAAA—!"
He scrambled away, shadows swirling around him in panic. "Who's there?!"
No answer.
He pumped more magic into the shadows, the dark aura thickening. "You-you from Fairy Tail?! You think you can hide from me?! You think you can hide in shadows from me?!"
He pressed both palms together as a dark purple magic circle appears in front of him.
"DISPEL!"
Magic burst outward like a shockwave, ripping away all concealed presences, stripping away stealth.
The air grew still.
Nothing.
He straightened. "Ha… see?Nothing! Did it not work—"
"It did work, actually."
The voice whispered directly behind him.
Kageyama screamed and spun, throwing a backhand—only for his elbow to be caught mid-swing.
A large hand grabbed his neck from behind, lifted him with ease, and slammed him onto the ground , he felt his vision go hazy before the attacker pulled him up and tossed him back.
Kageyama was launched through the air and hit the ground hard his body rolling across stones before finally coming to a stop , he groaned, vision spinning as he scrambled backward, kicking up dirt, until he finally looked up—
Kai stood there.
Golden eyes half-lidded. Slick brown hair flowing in the wind. Wrappings around his forearms and shins. Prayer beads clinking softly as he moved.
He looked bored.
Painfully bored.
And so utterly unafraid that it twisted Kageyama's stomach into knots.
"You—one of those Fairy Tail flies!"
"Mm." Kai tilted his head. "Your shadow trick is cute. Really nostalgic."
Kageyama shakily got to his feet. "S-Stop following me! If you think you can—!"
Kai suddenly vanished from sight.
Not with magic.
Not with smoke.
Just—
**Gone.**
Kageyama's breath caught. "W-Where—?!"
A finger tapped his shoulder.
"Boo."
Kageyama screamed.
**Meanwhile — Onibas Station**
Natsu practically leapt off the train and spit out the pellet Kai had forced under his tongue.
"HAAH—FINALLY! Land! No more weird shocks!" He stomped the pellet vindictively, sparks still popping off his tongue.
Gray stared at him in disgust. "That thing was helping you inside the train moron."
"Yeah, and? I hate it!"
Erza ignored them both, armor glinting. "Be serious. This is the place I heard Eisenwald mention."
Gray surveyed the peaceful crowd. "It looks normal, Erza. Peaceful even, are you sure this is where the Eisenwald guys are."
"That's more dangerous," she said sharply. "They're hiding. Spread out. Look for anything suspicious."
Natsu cracked his knuckles, fires lighting within him. "Got it! I am itching to kick some ass."
**Back to Kai and Kageyama**
Kageyama released a barrage of shadow strikes ,his breathing uneven—fear dripping through his magic.
Kai ducked, slid, rolled, shifted his weight—every motion effortlessly efficient. Not a wasted step. Not a wasted breath.
Kageyama screamed his magic erupting in shadows as he growls,"Shadow magic : Orochi."
The mass of shadows behind kageyama condensed into the form of a multiheaded hydra like snake which rushed at kai who stood there watching ,as the first few snakes reached him he sidestepped one and his hand came down crashing into it as the head dissolved into shadow fragments but kageyama continued to send more and more, as the shadow snakes surrounded kai from all sides, three of them quickly moving around him to wrap him while other rushed at him their jaws wide open to cosume him ,
but just as they were about to hit him a blast of light erupted from kai dropping a pellet on the ground,and as the light died down.
He simply wasn't there anymore.
*Kageyama's thoughts spiraled.*
*He moves like a shadow—but he's not using standard shadow magic. What is he? What IS he?!*
Kai spoke calmly behind him, "You know, I was thinking… if you're a decoy, this'll be annoyi-."
Kageyama spun and unleashed a bursting wave of shadows—only for Kai to jump over them and attacks kageyama from above with a lazy axe kick, kageyama panicking shouts "shadow guard" as multiple shadows surround him like a cocoon and Kai's kick connects with it causing a slight crack in the surface and causing the ground beneath them to crack as kai jumps back ,but seeing his defence hold against the attack kageyama laughs-
But his laugh was cut short when suddenly the coccon surrounding him was hit by another force exactly at the same spot even though nothing was there ,this time cracking the defence completly and kageyama felt something hit his face slamming him straight into the ground.
"Echo strike". Kai's voice came calm as he steps forward." Now as I was saying if you were a decoy this would have been annoying."
"But if you're not…" Kai continued, stepping forward, each step soft as a whisper, "…I'll make this quick. I want whatever you're carrying."
Kageyama bleeding form his skull his eye and face badly bruised backed up until his spine hit a tree.
Kai crouched slightly, golden eyes gleaming with playful threat.
"So…" He extended a hand with an amused smirk.
"Hand me the cursed murder-flute, yeah?"
Kageyama's knees shook as he struggled to speak." Please sir wait I don't have the flute i was just a watch keeper they forced me into this, the flute is with Erigor."
Kai just stared at him amused as footsteps came behind them kageyama looks behind kai and sees a blonde girl and a blue cat both with fairy tail emblems.
Lucy and happy who had just managed to reach here found themselves stunned as the mage they were chasing had been defeated already and was begging Kai to spare him who didn't even look tired.
Lucy finally manages to speak."Ka- kai are you ok?, did you get the lullaby.?"
Happy also nods"aye kai you already got the guy did you get the flute you didn't use it right ?."
Kai just laughs finally turning to them still sitting down." Actually my cute dumb companions I was just in the middle of asking this gentleman to hand over the flute to me , come on shadow boy I know you have it ,why not be cooperative ,do you want to have your fingers, ears and dick tore off before giving the item to me ?"
Lucy and happy locked horrified hearing this as they shook their head *He won't do it he is Just bluffing just bluffing right?* they try to assure their minds that kai won't do anything like that.
But kageyama looking into Kai's eyes found no sign of discomfort or joke, he was speaking the same way he had before beating him, kageyama managed a shaky smile tears in eyes as he says" I-i please i will give it to you please sir don't do that."
Kai smiles at him." I won't."
Kageyama trembling reaches for his clothes inner pockets until a cold voice reached him.
" What the hell do you think you are you doing kageyama getting caught and now and giving away our treasure to fairy tail flies."
Kageyama froze that voice he could recognise it anywhere." Erigor."