Lucy had been taught to be careful with strangers.
And she knew the smell of sleeping drugs.
She stared at the wine he'd tried to feed her and felt the last thread of patience snap.
"You'd better get this straight. I want to join Fairy Tail, not be your woman!"
She'd flirt a little if she had to. Smile. Endure a conversation. Play polite.
But she would never trade her body for a guild badge.
The man's expression didn't change at first.
Then he laughed—low, amused—like she'd finally said something entertaining.
"Haha! You found out? You're a real handful." His voice lost its sweetness. "If you'd just fallen asleep, you wouldn't have to suffer…"
The man called "Fire Dragon" let the mask drop completely.
Lucy's stomach tightened. "Huh?"
She barely had time to breathe—
Suddenly.
The curtains behind her were ripped open.
Two large hands shot out and seized her arms, wrenching them back and locking her in place.
Lucy gasped, struggling, but the grip was iron.
"Heh, not bad, Mr. Fire Dragon."
"It's been a while since we had such a high-quality girl."
Lucy's eyes darted—
A group of hard-faced men had been hiding behind the curtain the whole time, watching. Waiting.
"What are you doing?! Who are you people?!" Lucy shouted, panic flaring hot in her chest.
Smack!
Fire Dragon grabbed her chin and forced her face toward him.
A dark smile curled over his mouth. Up close, it looked uglier.
"Welcome to my slave ship," he said softly. "Behave yourself until we get to Bosco, little girl."
"Bosco…?" Lucy's breath caught. "Wait! What about Fairy Tail?!"
"I just told you." He spoke like he was bored. "This is a slave ship. I was going to sell all of you from the start. Give up."
One of the men chuckled.
"The boss knew all the charmed women would show up."
Another leaned in, eyes cold.
"The charm didn't work on this one. Looks like she needs to be trained."
"Hehehe!"
Their laughter crawled over Lucy's skin.
Terror hit hard—followed by something sharper underneath it.
Disgust.
Using magic. Lying. Selling people.
This is a Fairy Tail wizard?
The dream she'd carried out of her home—out of her entire life—felt like it was cracking apart right in front of her.
"Let's give you your slave brand first," one of them said, almost cheerfully. "It's a little hot. Just bear with it."
Fire Dragon pulled out a red-hot iron. Heat shimmered around it.
Lucy's throat went tight. She bit her lip until it hurt. Her eyes burned—anger more than fear.
"A Fairy Tail wizard…" she whispered, voice shaking. "You're the worst…"
Suddenly—
CRASH—!
The ceiling of the cabin exploded.
Wood and dust rained down.
A figure dropped straight through the hole and hit the floor hard.
"Natsu?!"
Lucy's eyes widened.
It was the kid from earlier.
Fire Dragon recognized him too. "It's that kid from today!"
Natsu lay there, face green, eyes unfocused.
"Ulp… I'm… so sick… bleh…"
"Huh?! He's useless!"
For a split second Lucy's heart had surged—
and then it sank.
Natsu was already down.
Fire Dragon waved a hand, annoyed. "What's going on? Why did this kid fall from the sky? Whatever." His eyes flicked toward his men. "You two. Break his arms and legs and throw him to the sharks."
"Yes, sir!"
Two slavers lunged for Natsu.
Suddenly—
BOOM—!
The cabin door flew off its hinges like it had been kicked by a cannon and slammed into the two men.
"Uwaa!"
They were sent flying, bodies tumbling across the floor.
The doorway filled with a figure standing in the splintered frame.
White robes.
A cold, still presence.
"Seriously…" the newcomer said, voice flat with irritation. "He knows he gets motion sickness, but he still charges in."
It was Kael Vane—dressed in Ulquiorra's white.
Fire Dragon's patience finally snapped. "Who are you now?"
Natsu groaned, barely lifting his head. "Ulp… Kael… save me… bleh…"
"Kael?!" Lucy stared, stunned.
That was Kael?
He looked nothing like the man from earlier.
Happy zipped in behind him, then spotted Lucy and froze.
"Lucy? What are you doing here?"
"Happy!" Lucy blurted, relief and panic tangling together. "He tricked me! He said he'd get me into Fairy Tail, so I came to the party! But they're slavers!"
Kael's gaze slid to Fire Dragon.
His head tilted slightly, like he was studying a stain.
"Fairy Tail?" Kael said. "You?"
Fire Dragon lifted his chin. "What? You got a problem with that?"
"Yeah," Kael said, voice calm. "I do."
He took one step forward.
"Using illegal magic—I don't care. Lying—I don't care. Selling people… that's the Magic Council's job."
Lucy flinched at the coldness of that.
Kael's eyes hardened.
"But you should never have pretended to be from Fairy Tail to do it."
"Pretended?!" Lucy whipped her head toward Fire Dragon, disbelief crashing through her. "You're a fake?!"
Fire Dragon scratched his face like this was all tiresome. "Huh? Who says I'm a fake? You got any proof?"
"Proof?" Kael's tone didn't rise, but the room felt smaller. "I'm standing right here. I'm the proof."
He pointed at his own chest—simple, direct.
"You dared to use Fairy Tail's name…" Kael's voice went colder. "Are you ready to pay the price?"
Fire Dragon's face twisted. "Hmph! Brat. Didn't anyone tell you not to board someone else's ship?" He snapped at his men. "You. Get rid of him!"
"Yes, sir!"
Two huge slavers barreled at Kael Vane.
"No! Look out!" Lucy yelled, instinct taking over.
They reached him—
BOOM—!
"Uwaa!"
Both men were blasted backward, even faster than they'd charged.
Crash!
They smashed through the cabin wall and disappeared into splintered wood.
For half a beat, nobody moved.
Nobody had even seen what Kael did.
Fire Dragon's eyes widened, then narrowed into rage. "You idiots! Use your guns!"
"Ah! Yes!"
Hands flew to crates. Metal scraped. The slavers yanked out firearms, raising them with shaking excitement.
"Guns?! Kael, run!" Lucy screamed.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The cabin erupted in muzzle flashes.
Lucy squeezed her eyes shut, bracing for blood.
Clink! Clink! Clink!
A series of sharp, metallic pings rang out.
She opened her eyes.
Every bullet had struck Kael Vane's body—
and bounced off.
They fell to the floor like useless pebbles.
"H-How is that possible?!"
Faces went pale. Mouths fell open.
He hadn't dodged. He hadn't blocked.
He'd simply… stood there.
"Tch!" Fire Dragon spat. "These normal guys are useless!"
He drew in power, heat building around his arm as flames gathered tight, then surged outward.
"Red Typhoon!"
A blast of fire tore across the cabin toward Kael Vane.
"Kael!" Lucy cried.
Fire Dragon grinned, showing teeth. "Hmph! Kid, even if you're made of steel, my fire will melt you!"
The flames swallowed Kael completely.
For a heartbeat, there was only roaring heat.
Then—
a voice, calm, almost amused, spoke from inside the fire.
"Oh? Really?"
The flames began to peel away from his body, as if they'd lost the right to cling to him.
They faded.
And through the thinning fire, a different figure stepped forward.
Freckles.
An orange cowboy hat.
Bare chest—unscathed.
Lucy's eyes widened again, trying to make sense of the shape in front of her as the last embers died in the air.