Natsu and Gray exchanged glances, both feeling a bit annoyed and reluctant to team up.
However, due to Erza's presence, they didn't dare to speak up.
Ryoma was frantically complaining in his mind. 'Why do I have to be dragged along?! I just want to quietly slack off.'
'I just finished a thankless mission, and now there's another one, and it's even more troublesome.'
...
Magnolia Station.
"Ah?!" Natsu, covered in flames, glared at Gray, "Why do I have to be with you?!"
"That's what I should be saying."
Gray, unwilling to be outdone, stood up, and their foreheads instantly pressed together, sparks flying.
"If it's about helping Erza, I'm enough on my own. At most, add Ryoma."
Ryoma and Lucy, meanwhile, sat on the seats behind, watching the two explosive barrels, who seemed ready to detonate at any moment, along with a group of people around them.
"Why are you here, Lucy?" Happy, also sitting on a seat, asked Lucy with a fish in his mouth, his words muffled.
"Because Mira..."
Lucy first glanced at Ryoma, then recalled what Mirajane had said. "Those two will definitely quarrel when Erza isn't looking. You have to stop them."
Originally, Lucy wanted to say, "Isn't Ryoma also here?"
But then she learned from Mirajane that it was precisely because Ryoma was there that she was even more worried. Mirajane believed that Ryoma would not only not intervene to stop them, but might even add fuel to the fire, and then watch the show from the sidelines.
"Haa..." Lucy sighed.
Although she had come along, she couldn't stop Natsu and Gray from quarreling.
"Sorry to keep you waiting." Erza appeared at the station, pulling a large cart filled with luggage.
Natsu and Gray instantly froze, immediately quieting down.
"Yes... Yes! We'll get along well today too." They replied in unison, their voices trembling.
Ryoma watched this scene, finding it very amusing. These two guys were just glaring at each other, but now they were united.
And while Erza and Lucy were talking, these two guys were once again at loggerheads behind Erza's back. When Erza's peripheral vision glanced back, they instantly put on a friendly facade again.
Their face-changing speed was incredibly swift.
Just before they were about to depart, Natsu, brimming with confidence, foolishly challenged Erza to a fight after the mission.
However excited Natsu was at that moment, he was equally miserable after getting on the train.
Natsu was sprawled on his seat, looking green from motion sickness. "Ah..."
Gray rolled his eyes. "Seriously, what a useless guy."
It was Erza who eventually punched Natsu unconscious, sparing him from his suffering.
"It's about time you told us what exactly is going on, Erza."
Since Ryoma was already here, he spoke up to ask.
Erza's expression turned serious. "During a mission, I heard news about the Dark Guild Eisenwald. They seem to be planning something using a magic called Lullaby."
"Eisenwald?"
"A Dark Guild that specializes in assassination." Erza explained.
"Assassination?" Lucy shivered.
"Lullaby is sealed, which means it must be some powerful magic."
Ryoma sighed inwardly. This time, he couldn't avoid it, but since it was for the plot, he would cooperate.
"Whatever Eisenwald is planning with Lullaby, it's definitely not good. So we need to stop them as soon as possible."
Erza's voice became even more serious. "Exactly, after all, we'll be going against an entire Guild."
"So we must act immediately to stop their plan."
"What exactly do we need to do?" Ryoma asked.
"First, we need to gather more information." Erza began to formulate a plan.
"I know of a recent stronghold of Eisenwald, we can go there to investigate first."
"Stronghold?"
Lucy asked nervously, "Will it be dangerous?"
Lucy was on the verge of tears. She just wanted a simple quest to earn some rent money, how did she get involved in something so dangerous?
"Don't worry, Lucy." Ryoma patted her shoulder. "With us here, nothing will happen."
"Exactly." Gray also, uncharacteristically, comforted her, "Although Natsu is unreliable, Erza and Ryoma are very strong."
Ryoma calculated silently. According to the plot, Eisenwald should be acting at the train station.
The master of Eisenwald is Erigor, known as the Shinigami, skilled in wind magic.
Their goal this time is to use the forbidden magic Lullaby to assassinate the masters of various Guilds.
"Ryoma, what are you thinking about?" Lucy's voice sounded from beside him.
She was holding Plue in her arms, and the small Celestial Spirit was trembling.
"Nothing, just thinking about this mission." Ryoma came back to his senses and glanced at her.
"Are you nervous?" Lucy asked softly.
"To be honest, I'm a little nervous."
"It's alright." Ryoma replied calmly. "It's my first time facing a Dark Guild, though."
No sooner had he spoken than a piercing screech of brakes suddenly tore through the entire train.
Screech!
The tremendous inertia sent everyone stumbling.
Natsu, already pale from motion sickness, almost passed out this time.
Lucy shrieked and nearly flew off, but Ryoma grabbed her.
"What's going on?!" Gray steadied himself, his face grim.
"They're here." Ryoma uttered softly, his eyes instantly becoming as sharp as blades.
Erza frowned. "Something seems to be happening ahead. I'll go check."
Just then, screams of passengers suddenly erupted from inside the carriage.
"Oh no! Mages are attacking the train!"
"It's people from a Dark Guild!"
"Help!"
"Everyone, prepare for battle!" Erza's voice cut through all the noise.
She kicked open the carriage door and rushed out first.
Everyone quickly rushed out of the carriage and onto the outside of the train.
The scene before them was even more chaotic than expected.
The entire station had already turned into a battlefield. Kingdom soldiers were scattered on the ground, and civilians screamed as they fled in all directions.
Behind the group of black-robed Mages, a white-haired man carrying a huge scythe was squatting on a high place like he was watching a show, his eyes full of mockery.
The Shinigami, Erigor.
"Hahaha! I didn't expect people from Fairy Tail to be on this train too." One of the Mages cackled.
"Might as well take care of them all at once."
Before he finished speaking, a dozen magic beams of different attributes intertwined into a net of death, raining down on everyone.
Gray instantly acted, and a huge ice shield rose from the ground, blocking most of the attacks.
"Are you people from Eisenwald?" Erza asked coldly.
"What is your purpose in hijacking the station?"
"Hahaha, what could be inside the station?" Erigor flew up and landed on a broadcast speaker.
With that, his figure transformed into a gust of wind and instantly vanished.
"You won't escape!"
Natsu roared, about to give chase, but was entangled by more of the foot soldiers.
"These guys are here to buy time."
Erza sliced two enemies away with a single sword stroke, immediately assessing the situation.
The battle fully erupted.
Although Erza and her companions were powerful, the enemy was numerous, and they couldn't eliminate them all at once.
Even more troublesome, they continuously launched indiscriminate attacks in the direction where civilians were fleeing, forcing Erza and the others to divide their attention to protect them.
"Open! Gate of the Golden Bull, Taurus!"
Lucy summoned a Celestial Spirit to assist in the fight.
Ryoma extended one hand forward. Centered on him, the temperature of the entire world seemed to drop by dozens of degrees.
Countless tiny ice crystals appeared in the air, and a massive, hemispherical ice dome made of pure ice, like a cathedral's dome, thundered into existence above the plaza. While isolating the battlefield, it also allowed the civilians to escape safely.
Although a bunch of subordinates were gathered here, these were just small fry; the real threat was not here.
Just then, an Eisenwald member was struck down by Gray, and Erza immediately went forward and grabbed him.
"Speak! Where is your master?!" Erza demanded coldly.
"Ha... Haha..."
The member laughed weakly.
"It's already... already too late... Shinigami-sama has already taken Lullaby to the Guild masters' meeting place."