"Rock Coffin Prison!"
Jura pressed his palms together, and the hemispherical rock barrier in the center of the hall reshaped into a square. The stone walls on each side began to close inward with heavy, grinding force.
But after a few seconds, Jura's expression tightened. He knew exactly how much space remained inside, and by now, there should have been resistance. Something wasn't right.
The walls slammed shut with a resounding boom, and a puff of pink mist leaked through the cracks. Yet Jura felt no contact, no impact that suggested an actual person had been crushed.
The others quickly stepped back, covering their mouths and noses.
When the rock prison collapsed, the interior was empty.
Then, from outside the villa, a distinct roar echoed through the air.
The Blue Pegasus mages tensed instantly. They knew that sound better than anyone.
"Christina?!"
It was unmistakable, the sound of Christina, Blue Pegasus's flying magical bomber ship, cutting through the sky.
The problem was clear. Three of the four Blue Pegasus members were currently incapacitated. The last, Ichiya, was likely taken out or replaced.
So who was piloting Christina?
Everyone rushed to the window.
Outside, the magic bomber hovered ominously. Its massive black cannon was aimed directly at the villa, glowing as it charged an overwhelming magical blast.
"Wait, wait, wait… again?!" Gray's eyes widened. "This is just like the Phantom Lord's Jupiter Cannon!"
Lyon snapped, "Quit staring! Think of a way to defend!"
Running wasn't an option. No one could outrun an airborne magic cannon. If they tried to flee, some would definitely be left behind. The only chance they had… was to hold their ground.
"Requip: Adamantine Armor!" Erza's voice rang out with steely resolve as she prepared for the worst.
"Eh?? We're actually going to take that shot?!" Lucy looked like she was about to cry. "That thing isn't meant to be fired at people!!"
"There's no choice now," Jura declared. He brought his hands together, and a thunderous wave of magic erupted around him.
"Rock Mountain!"
The ground trembled violently. From it rose a towering stone colossus, arms raised to shield the entire villa like a living fortress.
Natsu stumbled from the shaking. "Whoa! What kind of magic is that?!"
Gray blinked, astonished. "This guy… is seriously powerful, isn't he?"
Lyon grinned proudly. "Of course he is! That's Master Jura!"
Gray glanced sideways at him, then suddenly chuckled.
Here was Lyon, using both hands for molding magic, proudly following Jura's lead, and clearly having found something valuable in this new guild of his.
"What's with that look?" Leon huffed. "If you've got time to stare, lend a hand!"
Tearing off his coat, he struck a dramatic stance. "You're better at creating still structures, aren't you?"
"Obviously!" Gray shouted back, already in position. He'd entered without a shirt to begin with, so he skipped the whole 'stripping' routine and jumped straight into casting.
The two raised their voices in unison.
"Ice-Make: Fortress Wall!"
Thick, towering walls of solid ice surged upward—soaring even higher than Jura's rock giant. It was an impressive feat of collaborative magic.
Unfortunately, the defense didn't last long.
The moment Christina's cannon fired, the ice wall was instantly obliterated.
The blast tore through it, sending icy shards flying in every direction. The core of the wall vaporized, condensing into mist and cloaking the stone giant like a thin veil.
And then the blast struck Jura's Rock Giant.
A deafening crash rang out. Stones flew in every direction. The giant's chest was completely pierced through, cracks spidering across its entire body as its massive form trembled under the impact.
Magic Bomber, Christinaa, a weapon powerful enough to raze entire cities.
A massive hole was blasted through the side of the villa. Smoke and debris choked the air, clouding everyone's vision.
Though the attack had been partially deflected, first by Jura's earth titan, then by Gray and Lyon's combined ice wall, it still packed tremendous force. What remained slammed against the protective barrier conjured by Erza's Adamantine Armor.
Teeth clenched, Erza dug in her heels and braced her shield, enduring the final force of the bombardment.
Before the group could even catch their breath, another explosion rang out from above.
"Here comes another one!" Gray shouted.
Everyone tensed, scrambling to prepare for the next barrage. Natsu shouted for Happy and crouched, ready to leap into the sky.
But before he could take off, the villa's roof suddenly caved in with a thunderous crash—and a metallic horse-head-shaped structure came crashing down amidst a rain of shattered wood and tiles.
It was Christina!
Blue Pegasus's magic bomber had lost power and was plummeting straight down!
It crashed hard, skidding and toppling before erupting into a massive explosion, flames licking high into the air.
"Christina…!" Eve gasped, his eyes wide with horror.
Not far from the wreckage, five figures calmly approached the burning villa. Leading them was a woman with silver hair and cold eyes.
Angel scowled, brushing dust off her cloak. "Seriously, they used that kind of attack? What if I got caught in the crossfire?"
A young man with red hair and a purple serpent coiled around his body responded lazily, "You were never in danger. I could hear your thoughts clearly the whole time. But… you didn't manage to take out Jura."
Angel raised her hands with a shrug. "He's one of the Ten Wizard Saints, after all. Way too cautious. And somehow, they knew about my magic in advance. I only managed to neutralize the Blue Pegasus team."
The leader, Midnight, was about to speak, when his expression changed. He pressed two fingers to his temple, receiving a telepathic message.
"You found it? Excellent. Hold that position. Make sure no one interferes."
"Did they find Nirvana?" Racer grinned. "Nice!"
"Exactly. The Light-side nuisance has been handled. No more time to play, let's move." Midnight cast one final glance at the still-burning wreckage of Christina. "Shame. If we'd found the location sooner, I would've enjoyed the battle a bit longer."
Cobra stepped forward, his sharp eyes narrowing. "No, Leader. That Light isn't gone yet. I can still hear it. It's faint, but it's there."
Midnight didn't stop walking. "Then I leave it to you. Begin Nirvana. Don't let anyone interfere."
"Understood." Even with a Wizard Saint among the enemy, the Six weren't afraid.
Meanwhile, elsewhere in the woods...
Rhodes and Mira had quickly located Erigor and his newly formed rogue gang. Before nightfall, they'd already dragged them all back to Cait Shelter.
"You're back already?" Carla blinked in surprise as she watched a crowd of summoned beasts carry unconscious bandits like cargo. Her eyes narrowed on the battered man at the front of the group—recognizably Erigor.
The man's face was badly bruised. One cheek was swollen, and his chest had a large dent as if crushed inward. Judging by the way he slumped, he probably had several broken ribs.
"Wait… that's Erigor?" Carla asked skeptically. "Didn't they say he was a stealth expert and incredibly dangerous? Why does he look like he lost a bar fight?"
Rhodes scratched his head, confused. "Yeah, I don't get it either. He saw us, yelled something about 'needing two heads,' and charged in with his whole group…"
Mira gave a sweet but unbothered smile. "So, we beat them up."
Mira felt a little embarrassed. After all, she usually carried herself like a gentle big sister in front of Wendy and Carla.
Wendy looked at the dozen injured men laid out nearby and asked hesitantly, "Should we help treat them?"
Rhodes shook his head. "No need to waste your magic. They're all bad guys. As long as they're not dead, it's fine."
In truth, even if they had died, it wouldn't have mattered much, the bounty for Erigor had clearly stated dead or alive. But letting people die inside Cait Shelter felt… a bit out of place.
Carla tilted her head. "So, what are you going to do with them? Take them back to the guild?"
"We'll just leave them here for the night. I'll try contacting the Magic Council tomorrow. If that doesn't work out, I guess I'll have to drag Erigor back myself."
There was no need to worry about them waking up and causing trouble. Mira's sleep magic ensured they would stay knocked out, no matter how much noise surrounded them.
Though Carla clearly didn't like having them here, she didn't object.
Wendy, out of kindness, checked their wounds carefully. Once she was sure no one was dying, she didn't use any healing magic.
"Wait a second!" Carla suddenly noticed something. "They're all marked with the same guild insignia… Don't tell me you two just wiped out an entire guild?"
"It was just a small one, barely a dozen members." Rhodes waved it off nonchalantly. "I took out a guild with over forty members a few days ago."
He kept his tone casual, but secretly he was watching Carla's reaction with interest.
The way her ears perked up and her eyes widened in shock, it was hilarious.
Honestly, Rhodes figured that with Wendy's current magic power, she could probably handle a small-time dark guild too. Though not someone like Erigor, his wind magic, scythe techniques, and combat experience made him a real threat.
Wendy would struggle in a direct fight with him.
"Amazing!" Wendy beamed, stars sparkling in her eyes. "Do you and Mira usually take on such dangerous missions?"
"Not really," Mira replied with a smile. "Most of the time we just do normal jobs around town, like helping people move or using magic to make romantic events more charming."
"Yeah, mostly because of our guild master," Rhodes added, suddenly shifting to a mock-complaining tone. "He keeps throwing weird jobs at us…"
Rhodes began griping to Wendy about Makarov. He knew Wendy wouldn't repeat anything, so it felt safe to vent a bit about their eccentric old man.
After dealing with the remnants of the Eisenwald, Rhodes and Mira stayed a while longer to catch up. They found out Wendy had been facing some trouble with her magic recently, so they offered to help her practice her Dragon Slayer techniques.
Carla watched the training session from the side for a while before silently returning to the kitchen to prepare dinner.
By the time the sun dipped below the horizon, the trio had finished their training and taken turns bathing.
Rhodes, who finished first, stepped out into the cool evening air and sat down with a cup of tea, savoring the quiet.
Mira had gone in with Wendy, so they took longer. But when they came back, Wendy looked… dazed. As if her soul had momentarily left her body.
Carla looked at her with concern. Then, after a brief pause, her expression shifted as if she suddenly understood.
She turned to Mira and reassured her, "Don't worry. She'll be fine soon."
"Hmm?" Mira tilted her head, puzzled. Usually so thoughtful and understanding, she couldn't quite grasp what Carla was trying to say this time.
It couldn't be helped. Mira had grown up strong and confident, and by the time she reached the age when such things mattered, she already had everything figured out. She genuinely couldn't empathize with what Wendy was going through.
To lighten the mood, Rhodes began chatting with Wendy about stories from the Fairy Tail guild. Meanwhile, Mira headed back into the kitchen to help with dinner.
As the delicious aroma of stew drifted through the air, Wendy slowly started to cheer up. She reached for her teacup, but just as she was about to take a sip, she noticed the surface of the tea rippling ever so slightly.
"Huh?" Wendy blinked, confused. "Why is the tea shaking?" She turned to Rhodes. "We didn't touch the table, right?"
Rhodes had noticed it too. His expression shifted, becoming more alert.
"The ground's shaking…?" he murmured, then frowned. "Could it be an earthquake?"
He didn't sound too alarmed. Even if it were an earthquake, he knew it wouldn't hurt him, and most of the buildings in this quiet village were wooden cabins or simple tents. If things really got bad, he could just crash through a wall and escape. No big deal.
But Wendy shook her head. "No… this place has never had earthquakes before."
The tremors continued, steady, rhythmic, and growing stronger with each passing moment. Whatever it was, it was getting closer.
Mira burst out of the kitchen, still wearing her apron and holding a ladle in one hand. "What's going on?" she asked, concern on her face.
Carla followed out behind her, equally confused.
"It feels like something huge is coming this way," Rhodes said, narrowing his eyes. It reminded him of the time Master Makarov went into giant form and came stomping across the plains. The vibrations were almost the same.
The group quickly rushed outside, stepping into the cool evening air. The sun had already dipped below the horizon, casting the village into shadows.
Cats were naturally better at seeing in the dark, and Carla narrowed her eyes sharply as she peered into the distance. "What is that…?"
"Huh? Carla?" Wendy looked at her, confused. "What do you see?"
"It looks like… a giant spider… or maybe a massive crab," Carla said hesitantly. "It's walking straight toward us. And every time one of its legs touches the ground, the whole area shakes!"
To be that far away and still cause such heavy tremors with each step—just how massive was this thing?
And more importantly… why was it coming here, to Cait Shelter?
With legs that long, it would reach the village in no time.
Almost everyone in the village had stopped whatever they were doing. One by one, the villagers turned to look at the dark silhouette looming in the distance, fear etched on their faces.
Then, someone whispered in a trembling voice, "Nirvana… Nirvana is heading this way… we're finished…"
That name, Nirvana, sent a chill through the air. Every villager seemed to recognize it, and none of them looked happy about it.
Wendy's ears twitched. She had picked up someone muttering nearby and hurried over to the low stone fence of a neighboring house. Standing on tiptoe, she called out, "Mister Magna! Do you know what that thing is?"
Magna turned his head, eyes wide and lips parted, but before he could answer—
"Don't be fooled," a soft, steady voice interrupted.
President Roubaul was standing quietly in the courtyard, his eyes never leaving the creeping shadow on the horizon.
"That… is Nirvana," he said, his tone grave. "And it's our sin."
"Master!" Wendy exclaimed in surprise.
Carla flew to her side. "What do you mean, 'our sin'? What is Nirvana?"
Roubaul looked at Wendy first, then glanced at Rhodes and Mira. Finally, he returned his gaze to the far-off shadow and spoke.
"Nirvana… is a powerful magic," he said. "And it's also a city. A city that can move. Long ago, it was a small nation, more than 400 years ago."
Everyone froze.
The weight of his words took a moment to settle in.
"A… city?" Mira echoed faintly.
"A country?" Rhodes blinked, trying to process what he'd just heard. "Wait… you're saying… that thing heading toward us right now… is an entire country?!"
...
Stones PLZzz