Kageyama stiffened… and slowly raised his head towards the voice.
White hair.
Dark tattoos.
A too-wide grin.
A scythe that reeked of death magic.
Floating effortlessly above the treeline.
Erigor.
Kageyama's terror cracked his voice. "L-Leader…i-i!"
Kai didn't look surprised neither did he turns around to face Erigor he just stares into kageyama's eyes towards the reflection of Erigor he sighs, his hand reaching forward as if to console kageyama who looks at him with surprise and something like hope,
Instead, kai gave Kageyama a bored glance and—
BAM.
A clean uppercut to the chin.
Not magical.
Not flashy.
Not even cruel.
Just efficient.
Kageyama went limp like a puppet with its strings cut, collapsing backwards with a thud.
Kai stood, dusting his knuckles. "He was noisy. And slow. I hate slow."
Then he turned his gaze fully to Erigor.
The faint boredom in his expression curved, just a little, into amusement.
"Huh, the big boss is here then" Kai murmured. "Looks like I got the real one. Red's gonna be furious when she finds out."
Lucy and Happy finally caught up with ka9, both panting. Lucy practically dove behind Kai while holding Happy.
Not because she trusted him blindly not after he had just throw them on the ground while skating at such speeds.
But because his presence—his strange, calm, self-contained confidence—felt safe.
And Erigor… Erigor felt nothing like safety.
Lucy stared at the floating man.
The malicious presence rolling off him made her breath quicken.
Her heart beat too fast.
He didn't feel like Fairy Tail.
Not loud like Natsu.
Not warm like Erza.
Not gruff like Gray.
Erigor felt like a grave waiting to be dug.
She grabbed Kai's sleeve lightly without realizing it.
Happy trembled. "Th-That's Erigor… the Shinigami…"
---
Meanwhile — Onibas Station
Erza, Natsu, and Gray had been combing every inch of the station… and found nothing.
Until the announcement reached erza's ears.
> "Emergency alert—Kunugi Station reports a train hijacking by a group of dark mages—"
Every muscle in Erza's body locked as she looks towards the annoucer stunned shouting,"WHAT?".
She ran.
Grabbed the announcer.
Lifted him off the floor with one hand.
"Tell me everything. When did this happen? QUICKLY"
The man practically choked on his words afraid for his life due to the red haired woman, as he wheezed out. "T-They just sent the message! Dark guild… took over… passengers have been killed or thrown out—!"
Erza dropped him and sprinted for the mike and announced .
"Natsu! Gray! Get to the transportation section NOW!"
Within seconds the boys arrived, confused, but the look on Erza's face erased all questions.
"We were wrong." She nearly snarled. "Eisenwald isn't here."
Natsu blinked. "Wait—what—"
Erza didn't let him finish.
"We need to go. I have a feeling Kai is already there."
She seized a magic vehicle vendor, slapped a pouch of jewels into his chest, and said, "I'm taking this."
The man fell down due to the sudden push barely managing to speak,"wait you can't".
Erza didn't listen quickly getting on driver's seat and connecting the wire to her hand as the engine roared to life.
Natsu went pale instantly.
"Erza, w-wait can't we—!"
A single fiery glare from her made him climb in obediently.
Gray buckled himself in and shouted over the wind, "What's happening erza at least tell us something?!"
Erza answered without turning her head.
"We have been tricked Eisenwald have hijacked the train their plan is something else the guy kai left after may have been the real one. And if Kai found the one carrying Lullaby… he may already be fighting."
Her gauntlet tightened on the wheel.
"Kai, don't do anything stupid…"
The vehicle shot down the road like a comet.
---
Back at Kunugi Station — Kai vs Erigor
Erigor narrowed his eyes at Kai, seeing the faint smile stretching the tinker-monk's lips.
"You got something to laugh about, fairy fly?" Erigor's voice carried like a cold wind. "Or are you already pissing yourself, huh?"
Lucy felt Kai stiffen.
Then—
He laughed.
Actually laughed.
A short, amused, warm sound.
Lucy and Happy jumped at the unexpected reaction.
Kai shook his head. "Nah. I'm laughing because—"
He pointed lazily at Erigor.
"—you're not wearing any underwear. Wind's blowing your pants up."
Lucy's jaw dropped.
Happy let out a strangled "Aye?!"
Erigor froze midair.
He looked down.
Both hands snapped to his waistband.
He found nothing unusual.
But the damage—oh the damage—was done.
His face turned a violent shade of red.
"How dare you—HOW DARE YOU MOCK ME!?" Erigor roared, aura flaring.
Lucy stared at Kai's back, stunned.
He joked… now?
But somehow… somehow the joke eased the crushing dread inside her chest.
Made her breathe again.
Made her believe.
So this is what they meant when they said he's reliable…
Happy clung to Lucy, whispering, "He's so cool…"
Erigor snarled, swinging his scythe.
"DIE, FAIRY TAIL! Wind blade barrage"
Wind howled.
Blades of slicing air burst from the sky, ripping the earth apart, shredding trees, cutting the ground open.
Lucy screamed stunned at Erigor attacking them —while Kageyama lay unconscious behind them and Erigor hadn't even hesitated to kill his own guildmate not even an effort to save him.
But before the blades hit—
Kai grabbed Lucy who has holding Happy.
Grabbed the unconscious Kageyama by the back of his shirt.
And then he whispered,"Shadow Monk Arts: Body Strengthening" , the next moment he burst forward carrying them a crater forming at his feet.
The world blurred.
The world shifted.
The world moved around them.
And suddenly they were ten meters away, unharmed, standing in untouched grass.
Where they had stood moments ago was now just—
Shredded earth.
Annihilated soil.
Pure destruction.
Lucy's knees nearly buckled.
Kai didn't even look back releasing a deep breath as steam escaped his mouth showing how warm his blood had been during that movement which showed in how fast that was.
He just set Kageyama on the ground beside her and said in his usual bored tone:
"Blondie. Cat. Take the unconscious loser and get to safety."
He cracked his neck.
And stepped forward toward Erigor—
—like a man strolling toward a mildly annoying chore.
Lucy froze, heart pounding. "W-wait—Kai! I can help too! We're a team—!"
Her argument never landed.
Erigor flashed above them like a phantom, eyes manic, scythe raised as a **second barrage of storm blades** screeched downwards like the sky itself was being shredded.
Kai didn't hesitate.
With a sharp tug his hand wraps unraveled, whirling like living chains. He grabbed Lucy—Happy still in her arms—and threw them aside in one smooth, brutal motion. Before Lucy could even yelp, he kicked the unconscious Kageyama after them like he weighed nothing.
"KAI—!" Lucy screamed as she tumbled across the ground, skidding to a stop with Happy groaning beside her as kageyama dropped beside them.
The blades hit where they had just stood.
The world became white wind and screaming steel.
Lucy's breath caught as she saw Kai raise his hand, a glowing magic circle blooming above him and started spinning rapidly. His wraps shot upward onto the magic circle , spinning so fast they blurred into a disc—grinding, screeching, throwing sparks as they met Erigor's violent wind magic.
Lucy couldn't even see him anymore—only the violent clash of power.
Happy clutched Lucy's arm. "Lucy We—we gotta trust him! We need to get back and leave it to Kai!" he squeaked, though even his voice trembled.
The storm intensified. Erigor roared above them:
**"WIND BLADE FUNERAL!"**
The blades grew—wilder, thicker, ripping into the earth and trees like they were paper. Lucy, Happy, and Kageyama—dragged by Happy—scrambled back as shockwaves tore open trenches in the ground as kai closes his eyes *"Shadow Monk Arts:Vishnu's Embrace"*,as the spinning magic circle and and his wrappings got even faster .
And then—BOOM, a blast of wind tore through the surroundings and
Silence.
Dust billowed everywhere, swallowing the sky. The forest was gone—just a cratered wasteland.
Lucy stared in horror. "Kai…?"
Erigor hovered, panting, burnt air swirling around him as he looked down looking for the bastard that had dared stand against him.
"Where… did he—?", Erigor mutters looking at the empty wasteland no sign of kai.
A whisper behind him:
"Shadow Step, it's pretty useful to escape such situations."
Erigor whipped around in panic—too late. Kai's fingers nearly brushed his throat.
But he managed to react as a wind veil exploded outward, throwing Kai's arm back his fingers broken. Erigor spun, slashing down with his scythe—
Kai didn't waste time staring at his fingers and quickly reacted to Erigor's attack by cartwheeling over the blade, but the next moment due to not having a stable point in air Erigor's wind-coated kick smashed into his ribs, sending him crashing downward.
But as he fell—Kai's hand blurred from his pouch with a tiny glow.
Two tiny orbs flicked from his pouch.
Erigor shredded them instantly with a gust— —but instead of dust the first one exploded into, *gasoline* which was vaporized into the wind current around him .
His eyes widened but before he could react,
The *second orb ignited* with a burst of sparks.
FWOOOOOM—
Erigor screamed as his own wind armor turned into a twister of flames, pulling every drop of the burning fuel into itself. He screamed rolling around the air like a falling star.
Lucy and Happy stared in horror.
"D-did he… burn him alive…?" Lucy whispered.
But suddenly the fire surrounding Erigor vanished along with the wind armour as his badly burnt form appeared in sky slowly falling down as if he had lost all strength but nefore Erigor even hit the ground, Kai appeared beneath him, grabbed his leg, and ragdolled him into the ruined earth by slamming him on the ground like a dirty rug.
Left. Right. Left. Right.
BAM, BAM,BAM, BAM, one after another tremors rocked the ground as Erigor's scream echoed through the area like a dying beast.
Each slam cracked the forest floor deeper.
"Aaah aahhh STOP",Erigor's screams tore through the clearing until he managed to burst out a fresh wind armor—shoving Kai's hands away.
Kai only smirked wiping his hand on his pouch while staring at Erigor in front of him once again wrapped in wind armourm
A tiny flick.
Something flew at Erigor.
He panicked remembering what happened and quickly dispersed the armor revealing his broken form but—
It was just a rock.
"YOU—", erigor turns to curse at kai but kai had vanished as Erigor realised the trap and quickly tried to summon another armour but it was too late.
Kai was already behind him.
Arms hooked under Erigor's chin kai pulled him back and his knee crashed into base of Erigor's spine with a crunch dislocating his spine.
Erigor gasped—his whole body going numb although no blood came out Erigor felt his life nearly leave him.
Kai pressed his foot to the same spot, pushing forward. Bone creaked. Erigor's breath broke into a whimper.
Fear—real fear—filled the so-called Shinigami's eyes.
Kai leaned in, voice low, soft, almost playful:
"Hey… Shinigami. DoYouknowwhat happens when a god of death dies?"
Erigor choked—no air, no answer. Panic clawed up his throat. He cursed himself—sending all his men away, thinking he was untouchable.
Kai's smile widened against his ear:
"Even I don't know. Let's find out, yeah?"
Erigor's eyes bulged, he tries to scream but only air came out.
But just then lucy and Happy's voices broke the moment like knives:
*"KAI!"*
Kai paused. Turned.
Lucy and Happy stood there—panting, relieved , proud at kai he had defeated the dark guild members by himself and even saved them with so less injuries some broken fingers , bruised rib, slight cuts over his body but they were glad—until they saw the position Erigor was in his neck pulled back painful and hsi spine arched slightly unnaturally.
"K-Kai! What are you doing!? We can't kill someone!" Lucy yelled, panic cracking her voice.
"A-Aye kai remember! You aren't like that!" Happy added, trembling.
Kai stared at them with an empty, predatory look before adding,"I am a trained assasin did you forget Shadow Monk."
Their hearts nearly stopped at his words he was not listening to them he really is going to kill him.
Then suddenly kai burst into laughter.
Loud. Sharp. Almost cruel.
"MAN THE LOOK ON YOUR FACES—oh my god! This is even better than red's expressions , You think I'd dirty my hands killing *this* guy?" Kai cackled, motioning lazily to the limp Erigor.
Lucy and Happy blinked—confused, stunned.
Kai motions toward Erigor. "Just look at him. He is even more pathetic than his subordinate, you hear me Shinigami. Even the loser before you didn't piss himself."
Lucy gagged when she finally noticed the puddle under Erigor. He had peed his pants.
Happy clamped his paws over his mouth trying not to laugh.
Erigor's mouth opened although only whimpers came out—humiliation washing over him worse than pain.
But behind them—
Kageyama had woken up after lucy and happy forgot to tie him up.
Lucy and Happy's laughter distracted them just long enough.
Kageyama sprang forward, launching a barrage of shadow spears straight at Lucy's back—
"Move—!"
Kai moved faster than they could react appearing in front of them.
He shielded them with his own body— as his hands were busy holding Erigor whom he couldn't let be killed yet neither escape so he deflecter as many as he could with his wraps and grunting as some of the attacks tore into him.
"Kai!" Lucy cried panicked rushing to help him.
"GATE OF THE GOLDEN BULL: TAURUS! GO!"
"MMH! LUCY-SAN!!" The bull appeared in a burst of light and charged at Kageyama instead of his usual perverted tendencies, forcing the shadow mage back.
Which was the moment kai dropped down from deflecting and taking so many shadow spears on his body and depsite his trained physique they had pierced through his flesh a bit , but the moment Kai's grip loosened from Erigor—
Erigor shot upward in terror his body still felt slightly paralysed but he could move due to his wind.
His burns, his bruises, his humiliation—they all twisted into rage.
Instead of attacking Kai… he aimed for Lucy and Happy after witnessing kai take hits for them.
"KAI!,LUCY! ABOVE!" Happy screamed.
Lucy panicking quickly tried to Summon another spirit but there wasn't enough time the wind blades bad already reached them.
But kai was already moving—appearing behind them as a familiar magic circle appears above them and soon enough the wraps start spinning ,"Vishnu's Embrace."kai called out pushing the circle more over lucy and happy due to their bodies being much weaker than his as wind blades tore into his exposed back and legs, sides, but he didn't let a single one touch the others.
The sky cleared.
Erigor was gone along with kageyama.
Lucy and happy quickly opened their eyes looking around before their eyes looked upwards as kai stood there his hands help up his clothes in rags multiple bloody gashes covering his entire body.
As kai finally puts his hands down before dropping on his butt huffing as he looks at his untouched arms ,except the broken fingers ,and gradually reached out to touch his wounds on the back before wincing "Oow fuck that stings." Kai mutters looking at his fingers now covered in blood.
Lucy and happy shaken by the sight and Kai's bloody form felt guilty tears appearing in their eyes as they quickly rushed forward," Kai ", seeing the two rushing at him kai quickly raised a hand stopping them, " talk from there you idiots I am a walking sauce bottle".
Lucy shakingly steps forward tears falling down"s-so-sorry kai i messed up i-i shouldn't have come here i-i should have listened to you, because of me yo-you got so hurt."
Happy also steps forward crying,"so-sorry kai its my fault as well I was completely useless."
Kai stares at them one eye raised like they are idiots as he mutters," That's why I hate team ups ,being responsible for someone else life what a fucking load of crap", he looks at two crying idiots before saying,"Stop acting like I am dead you morons ,i endured it and I saved you because i could, not because of some sacrifice ,i knew i would survive."