"Damn it!"
The giant creature swung a massive claw at Kaien.
CRACK—!
Kaien smashed the claw apart with a swing of the iron rail.
"What?!"
Lullaby was stunned.
Kaien stomped hard on the ground.
BOOM————!!
The surrounding rails were shaken loose and flung into the air.
Kaien launched a flurry of punches and kicks, striking the rails midair—each one shot toward Lullaby like a steel missile.
Crack! Crack!!
The creature's body was riddled with piercing blows, torn apart by the iron rails.
Whoosh—!
Kaien's figure appeared right in front of Lullaby's head.
"Sorry, I'm on a tight schedule—so I won't be playing with you anymore."
Gripping the rail with both hands, Kaien slammed it down onto the monster's skull.
BOOM————!!
CRACK———!!
The monster's head, along with its body, was smashed in two and shattered.
RUMBLE RUMBLE———!!
Lullaby's massive body collapsed with a thunderous crash.
Kageyama stared in disbelief. Only now did he truly understand what kind of monster they'd picked a fight with. There was no way Eisenwald could ever defeat something like him.
Thunk!
Kaien canceled his Take Over Magic, returning to his original form.
"Ow ow ow!!"
A sharp wave of pain ran through Kaien's muscles. Over the last six months, his training and practice with Sun Breathing had drastically improved his body, but every time he used Take Over: Fushiguro Toji, there were still some aftereffects—muscle strain and soreness.
He looked cool during the transformation, but afterward, he always ended up a bit of a wreck.
"Sigh… I should've ended it earlier."
He regretted dragging out every fight after using Take Over. The sooner he finished, the less pain he had to deal with afterward.
It was like playing Honor of Kings with a 20-0 lead. The enemy had nothing left but their base crystal, and even though everyone should end the game, nine times out of ten they'd keep goofing off—chasing kills, diving towers, trying to flex. Even on 1 HP, they'd think, I can still turn this around.
That's exactly how Kaien felt when using Take Over: Fushiguro Toji.
The power was so intoxicating, he just couldn't help but show off.
Suddenly, a Magitech four-wheeler came speeding up.
It braked hard and came to a screeching halt.
"Kaien! Are you alright?!"
Erza rushed up to him with concern in her eyes.
Kaien waved her off. "Relax. I'm fine."
"Thank goodness!" Erza smiled and patted his shoulder.
Kaien inhaled sharply.
"Ahh—! Ow ow ow!!"
"Hurt? Are you injured?" Erza asked, worried.
"No, no. I just overdid it during Take Over. Got a bit of muscle strain. I'll be fine after a bit of rest."
Thanks to Sun Breathing, which enhanced natural healing, minor injuries like muscle strain recovered quickly.
Erza let out a sigh of relief. "Glad to hear it."
Just then, Lucy stepped down from the Magitech four-wheeler, completely stunned by the scene before her.
"What… what the heck happened here?!"
The train was practically wreckage. Eisenwald members lay scattered across the ground. The rails had been torn apart. And nearby lay the bisected body of a horrifying monster.
"What's that thing?!"
She was especially shaken by the giant corpse. Its terrifying appearance alone was enough to give anyone nightmares.
"That? That's Lullaby."
"Lullaby?!!"
Erza and the others gasped. That thing was Lullaby?
Lucy was completely overwhelmed. Kaien had taken down Eisenwald by himself… and even defeated that monster?
Just then, the sound of dozens of footsteps echoed from afar.
"Quick! Surround the area! Don't let a single one escape!"
Everyone turned to look—soldiers were rapidly approaching.
Kaien's expression instantly changed.
"Shit—military! Run!!"
Without missing a beat, he jumped into the Magitech four-wheeler. Erza took the driver's seat and popped in the SE spark plug.
"Eh?! Running again?!"
Lucy couldn't help but question whether she'd really joined a proper guild. Why did they always run whenever the military showed up?
Still, she'd learned her lesson. Words were one thing—but she wasn't about to get caught and interrogated. Not when she hadn't even paid this month's rent.
"Hang on!!"
Erza slammed the accelerator, spinning the vehicle around and speeding off, leaving the angry soldiers shouting in their dust.
[Regional Guild Alliance Headquarters]
Regular Meeting – Assembly Hall
"Ah, Makarov, your guild members are lively as ever, huh? I heard someone gave a certain official a real thrashing."
The Guild Master of Blue Pegasus, Bob, smiled with open envy as he spoke to Makarov.
The meeting was already more than halfway through. All the local guild masters had gathered for a feast—half official assembly, half old friends' reunion.
Bob and Makarov had been old acquaintances, even members of Fairy Tail together in their youth, before Bob started his own guild.
These regional meetings served both as a cooperative council—and a chance for these old-timers to catch up and drink.
"Oho! That's one of our newbies—Lucy's doing!! Especially the boobs. Magnificent!!"
"You pervert."
The Quatro Cerberus Guild Master, Goldmine, frowned.
"Energy is one thing—but don't you think your guild's getting a little out of hand? There are folks in the Council who think Fairy Tail might destroy a whole city someday."
"Well bring it on then! Let Lucy's chest crush me to death!!"
By now, Makarov was clearly tipsy, dancing on the table like a drunken elf.
Bob rested his cheek on his hand, eyes dreamy.
"Really now… hitting on your own guild members? Naughty."
At that moment, a small bird flew in, clutching a letter.
"Makarov! A letter from Mirajane has arrived."
"Hmm?"
Makarov opened the envelope with curiosity. A tiny projection of Mirajane appeared, smiling sweetly.
"Master, thank you for your hard work!"
"How about that?! Isn't our poster girl adorable?!" Makarov beamed, flaunting her to the room like a prized treasure.
The other old men—aged in body but not in spirit—were already leering like schoolboys.
"While you were away, something… interesting happened. Erza teamed up with Kaien again. Pretty great, right? She needed his help with something—though I don't really know the details. Anyway, I thought I should report it. That's all~"
With that, Mirajane's image vanished.