"So fast——!!"
Feeling the wind slam into her face, Lucy was completely stunned.
Fast! Too fast!
It was practically teleportation. Within just three seconds, Kaien was already a tiny figure in the distance, barely visible along the tracks.
"W-What the hell was that?!"
Lucy blinked, dumbfounded, turning to Erza and Happy. "Was that some kind of speed magic? Or maybe teleportation?"
Erza shook her head. "Neither. That's just Kaien's normal running speed in that form."
"'Normal' running speed?! There's nothing normal about that!!"
Lucy gaped. Who the hell runs to catch up with a train—especially one that left an hour ago?
Erza said calmly, "We're going after him too."
She trusted Kaien to handle things—but if his magic ran out mid-fight, it could get dangerous.
On the Train
Kagayaama handed Erigor a three-eyed skull flute. "This is it."
"Oh… so this is that forbidden magic, Lullaby?"
"They say this flute used to be just a normal curse tool. But the great Black Mage Zeref evolved it into something far more powerful."
"To make something this terrifying…"
"Anyone who hears the sound of this flute will be cursed and die. That's the power of Group Curse Magic—Lullaby!!"
"Oooooh!!"
"That's our little Kaga for you!"
"Now the plan's perfect!!"
Erigor rallied his men: "It's time those old geezers paid the price for what they did to us. For everything they've done—we'll pay them back a hundredfold!!"
"OOOOHHHH!!"
The Eisenwald members were fired up. They were about to kill off the guild masters in one swoop. If they pulled this off, they'd go down in history—and maybe even rise to lead the entire dark guild world. Wealth, status, glory… it'd all be theirs.
Soon, everyone settled into their train seats, laughing and snacking, some even enjoying the view out the window.
Suddenly—
Whoosh—!
A shadow zipped past the window.
Those who caught it rubbed their eyes. Nothing there now—must've imagined it.
After all… no human could run faster than a train.
Outside the Train
SWOOSH!
Kaien landed in front of the oncoming train, a wicked grin playing at the corners of his lips—equal parts wild and deadly.
He crouched down and dug both hands under the steel rails.
"Let's fly."
With a sharp shout, he sprang upward.
The rails twisted like ropes as he yanked them skyward—whole sections of track rising from the ground, hurling toward the train's path.
Back Inside the Train
The Eisenwald members were still enjoying themselves—
Until—
BOOOOM!!
A massive shock threw everyone from their seats.
"WAAAHHH!"
"What the hell is happening?!"
Everyone inside felt like they were suddenly being launched into the air.
Outside, the train engine flew off the tracks first, followed by the attached cars, each lifting off the ground in succession and hurling upward into the sky.
The rise slowed… then all at once—
They dropped.
A full-body free-fall. Weightless.
"GYAAAHHHHH!!"
Screams of terror filled the cars.
BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM!!
One by one, the train cars slammed into the ground, sending up clouds of dust and debris.
A moment later—
Shing, shing!
Two wind blades slashed through the side of a train car. The wall burst open, and Erigor stumbled out, supporting himself with a hand against the twisted metal.
"Damn it! What the hell just happened?!"
His face was pale. The impact had rattled him to the core.
"Ow ow ow!!"
"Did the train derail?!"
"Shit! What the hell was that?!"
Eisenwald members staggered out of the wrecked cars, dazed and injured.
Then—
A voice echoed from above:
"Yo! Eisenwald trash—how's it going?"
"What?!"
Furious glares turned toward the source of the voice.
And there he was—sitting casually atop the upside-down train engine, one leg hanging, wearing a black T-shirt.
Kaien.
Erigor's expression darkened. "Who the hell are you? You did this?!"
There was no doubt. The terrain was flat—no way the train derailed on its own. And the man clearly knew who they were.
"Yup."
Kaien's answer was blunt.
"Kill him!!"
Erigor gave the order. He didn't care who this guy was—anyone who messed with Eisenwald had to die.
One man charged at Kaien with a magical sword.
"Die!!"
He swung the blade down toward Kaien's head.
Everyone thought Kaien would be cut in half—
"Too slow."
Kaien casually lifted two fingers and caught the sword.
"What?!"
Gasps erupted. He'd stopped a full sword strike with just two fingers?!
Then, still pinching the blade, Kaien lifted the man effortlessly off the ground.
With a flick—
"GWAAHH!!"
The man was sent flying.
"Swords aren't meant to be used like that."
SHUNK!
Before the man even hit the ground, Kaien was already behind him—and plunged the sword straight through his back.
"AAARRGH!!"
A pained, guttural scream tore from the man's throat.
Kaien yanked the blade out with a heavy swing.
THUD!
The man's body hit the ground hard, and the blood on the blade scattered with it.
For bastards trying to kill the old man and the other guild masters, Kaien had zero mercy. Especially now—he was channeling Toji Fushiguro, aka the Heavenly Tyrant. Mercy wasn't part of the skill set. Killing was.
"…"
The brutal, decisive violence silenced everyone. Even Eisenwald—dark guild that they were—was stunned.
They hadn't even seen Kaien move.
A chilling aura radiated from him—so intense it made their knees tremble. That killing intent, that oppressive pressure… it felt like standing at the foot of a mountain of corpses.
How many people had this monster killed…?
Kaien grinned arrogantly, eyes gleaming with bloodlust as he looked at the Eisenwald mages.
"What? Didn't you say you were gonna kill me?"
He cracked his neck slowly.
"If you're not gonna make a move, then I guess I'll start. After all, my time is pretty valuable."