Mira looked at Natsu's troubled face, hesitated for a moment, and said, "Logically, the activity of Summoned Beasts decreases in winter, and they usually stay away from human inhabited areas.
It's already deep winter, and rat-type Summoned Beasts are naturally timid, yet they are still active near human towns.
This is very unusual."
Cana gently stroked Happy's head, her brows slightly furrowed, "There might be other reasons, but for now, the most important thing is that these Summoned Beasts will harm the humans living nearby."
Natsu chugged his juice, then suddenly stood up and walked out.
"Happy, let's go!"
"Aye!"
Happy perked up, a white light glowed behind him, and a pair of snow-white wings spread out, carrying Happy into the air, catching up with Natsu.
"Wait."
Natsu and Happy hadn't gone far when Cana's voice came from behind them, calling them back.
Natsu and Happy looked back.
Cana propped herself on the counter with one hand, then flipped over and jumped out from behind it.
"I tamed a Fairy that's good at tracking a few days ago."
"I'm just sitting around anyway, let's go together."
Cana stretched her neck, then strode over to Natsu.
Happy was moved to tears, "Ca~na~"
Natsu broke into a Happy smile.
Ezreal saw this scene, smiled, took a sip of juice, then walked over, "If it's about tracking, I also have some Summoned Beasts that can help."
Cana patted Natsu's shoulder, "Lead the way, why are you just standing there like an idiot? We don't even know the mission location."
Natsu waved his hand forcefully, "Ah, I'm fired up! Happy!"
"Aye!"
Happy flapped his small wings and came to Natsu's back, his two small paws grabbing the scarf around Natsu's neck, easily lifting Natsu off the ground and rushing out of the hall at an extremely fast speed.
This scene made a flicker of thought pass through Ezreal's eyes.
"Natsu is strong, with high muscle density, weighing at least 140 pounds.
Happy can actually carry him flying so easily, that's interesting."
"Their race has good potential.
Iron Dragon's black cat seems to be able to fight Iron Dragon to a draw with a weapon, as for Happy..."
Ezreal pondered silently for a moment, but said nothing.
Cana flicked her hand, and a card was thrown out, hovering in front of her chest.
The back of the card was black, with a red Fairy Tail emblem in the center.
The front of the card showed a vast grassland with a magnificent white Cloud Steed galloping.
Cana's finger touched the center of the card, "In my name, seal release."
"Cloud Steed!"
Before her words finished, the card burst into a rainbow of light, and the next second, a magnificent white Cloud Steed appeared in front of Cana, affectionately nuzzling Cana's shoulder with its head.
This horse was about two meters tall, not very large for a Summoned Beast, and looked very suitable for a female rider.
And a faint breeze surrounded its body, naturally exuding the magical aura of wind elemental magic.
Ezreal sensed the magical aura of this white horse, a little surprised, "Yo, Cana, don't you have Evil Crow King? How did you get another Cloud Steed?"
Ezreal recognized this type of Summoned Beast.
Cloud Steed are wind-attribute Summoned Beasts, a rare species, usually C-class in their adult form, with a few able to break through to B-class.
They have astonishing endurance, boundless energy, and are excellent runners, with incredible speed thanks to their innate wind magic.
They can run wildly for a day and a night continuously, and also possess the ability to fly short distances using wind magic.
Cana stroked the horse's head, then deftly swung herself onto its back, saying with a hint of pain, "Evil Crow King isn't good at long-distance flying.
I sold five Swamp Crocodiles to get someone from Blue Pegasus to help me get this one."
Ezreal was even more surprised, "Five Swamp Crocodiles? You really went all out."
Cana said helplessly, "After all, it's a rare species, hard to get, and this one has the potential to break through B-class.
Ever since we went to the Asgard Mountains last time and I got used to riding your magic wolf, I really don't want to walk at all now."
Ezreal chuckled, teasing, "You'll die of laziness."
Cana rolled her eyes, "Then you walk!"
Ezreal made a funny face, a white light glowed around him, his hair stood on end, and his feet lifted slightly off the ground.
"I can fly myself, and I can teleport."
"Mira, we're leaving."
Ezreal turned back to greet Mira, and with a flash of white light, his figure disappeared from the hall, chasing after Natsu and Happy.
Cana also turned back and waved to Mira, then gently patted the horse's head.
The white horse beneath her immediately galloped, faint breezes intertwining around its snow-white hooves, reducing its weight while increasing its speed.
Mira waved, "Be careful on the way!"
...Outside Jinna Kadi City, along the railway line.
The dark green railway tracks stretched from the edge of the city into the distance.
The north wind howled, kicking up a few snowflakes from the ground.
Dozens of Gray Rats, the size of calves, were galloping along the tracks.
Behind them, there were also about ten black lizards, human-height, crawling on all fours.
In the distant sky, a red figure rapidly approached the railway, and when still twenty to thirty meters from the ground, he suddenly leaped down from the air.
"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"
A loud shout came, and the fiery red figure forcefully opened his right fist, crimson flames instantly igniting his fist.
The flames swelled with the wind, and Natsu, using the speed of his descent, rapidly approached the lizard pack.
"Boom!"
Natsu descended from the sky, his flame-wrapped right fist slamming into the ground.
Surprisingly, the ground only cracked slightly, and flames spread out in a fan shape towards the lizard pack.
The lizard pack, which had been galloping, was instantly engulfed by the flames that arrived from behind, and a strong aroma of roasted meat filled the air, as all ten or so lizards instantly turned into charred corpses.
The aftershock of the flames also affected the rat pack running faster in the distance, with the shockwave knocking several rats into the air.
Natsu stood up, and Happy just happened to land beside him, flapping his wings.
Happy pointed in two directions, "Natsu, the rat pack ahead has scattered."
Natsu brought his fists together, and crimson flames flashed across them.
"This time, not a single one can escape.
Let's chase!"
"Aye!"
Happy flapped his wings, and flames ignited on Natsu's feet, the two about to set off.
"Wait!"
Ezreal, glowing with white light, suddenly appeared behind Natsu with teleportation-like speed, placing a hand on Natsu's shoulder.
"Natsu, don't rush."
Behind him, Cana came galloping through the sky on Cloud Steed.
Light blue wind swirls wrapped around the white horse's four hooves, and the mane on its neck fluttered in the wind, making it look exceptionally magnificent.
Cana rode Cloud Steed and landed beside the two.
Glancing at the charred black lizard monster corpses, Cana suggested, "Should we meet the client first?"
Ezreal shook his head, "No need to be so troublesome, just go say something after we're done."
"The key now is to gather some information so we can deal with it all at once."
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