Jehfrit had found a little girl—Wendy.
When Jellal woke up, he didn't recognize Wendy. Seeing her try to stop him, he casually struck her down, knocking her unconscious.
"Wendy."
Jehfrit gently pinched Wendy's soft, squishy cheeks.
"Hmm?" Wendy slowly came to.
"Oh, Mr. Jehfrit!" Wendy quickly sat up.
She glanced around and exclaimed, "Were you captured too?!"
The setup around them was clearly that of a prison cell, with dark mages standing guard outside.
"Yeah, Oración Seis and former Wizard Saint member are no joke. Sigh, I did my best," Jehfrit lamented.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Jehfrit. It's my fault you're here," Wendy said guiltily.
"It's fine. Natsu and the others will definitely come to rescue us," Jehfrit reassured her.
"What about Jellal…?" Wendy's voice trailed off as she recalled how Jellal had acted like he didn't know her and treated her roughly—a far cry from the person she remembered.
"Do you know Jellal?" Jehfrit asked.
"Yes," Wendy nodded and briefly explained.
Like Natsu, she was the daughter of a dragon. After the disappearance of Grandeeney, the Sky Dragon, she struggled to survive on her own until she met Jellal. He took her along on his travels, but one day, he became distant and eventually left her at Cait Shelter.
To Wendy, Jellal was both her savior and an older brother figure.
But now, their reunion ended in this awful scene, leaving her heartbroken and disheartened.
"Hmm…" Jehfrit adjusted his glasses and said, "If the kind-hearted person you described looks like this Jellal but is much gentler, then perhaps you're thinking of someone else I know."
"Huh?" Wendy looked at him, puzzled.
"In our guild, there's someone who looks exactly like Jellal. His name is Mystogan. He's mysterious but very kind," Jehfrit explained.
"Could it be…?" Wendy's eyes widened.
"From what I understand about this Jellal, he spent his childhood locked away and later stayed in seclusion. If we're talking about someone gentle and compassionate, the timeline doesn't match up," Jehfrit analyzed.
In truth, he already knew Wendy's benefactor was Mystogan. But he needed to give her plausible reasons to believe him.
There was no rush, though. Eventually, Wendy would join the guild, and everything would become clear then.
"As for Mystogan, he's always traveling. Did your mentor use a staff and cast sleep magic?" Jehfrit asked.
"Yes, yes, yes!" Wendy grew excited.
"That settles it. Mystogan is an S-Class mage in our guild, just as strong as Erza. Though quiet and shy, he's incredibly kind," Jehfrit said. "So, the man you think of as your older brother isn't Jellal—it's Mystogan."
"Then… Mystogan is…" Wendy sighed in relief. The description fit the image of the brotherly figure she cherished.
"There's nothing to worry about now," Jehfrit said, pulling out a cushion and two blankets.
He spread one blanket on the floor. "Don't sit directly on the ground. You're dressed so lightly—you'll catch a cold."
Jehfrit continued rambling, "Weaklings like us can't compare to Natsu or Gray—one walks around bare-chested all year, the other practically naked."
"So, when given the chance, don't neglect yourself."
"Thank you, Mr. Jehfrit," Wendy said, brushing off some dust before sitting on the blanket.
"Lean back here; it's comfortable." Jehfrit placed the cushion against the wall and leaned back himself.
"…" Wendy was speechless. She glanced at the iron door, where dark mages were still guarding.
"Don't worry. They're using us as bait to lure our comrades into trouble. For now, they won't harm us," Jehfrit said confidently.
In reality, Oración Seis had already been defeated by Jehfrit. Right now, those seven unfortunate souls were forced to take drugs to keep the act going.
As for the guards outside? Just an illusion.
"How can I not worry…" Wendy couldn't see through the deception and felt even more anxious after hearing Jehfrit's words.
"Relax. We have Natsu, Gray—terrible at internal conflicts but unbeatable in external battles."
"Mr. Natsu is indeed powerful," Wendy agreed.
"And Erza, Jura, and others."
"Yes…" Wendy nodded, though her heart remained uneasy. The reputations of Oración Seis and former Saint loomed large. Even her guild master might struggle against such formidable opponents.
"…" After a moment of silence, Wendy noticed Jehfrit leaning comfortably against the cushion, covered with the second blanket, reading a book.
This guy… didn't seem worried at all.
She thought about it. He was incredibly strong, having fought his way into Oración Seis' lair and held his own against seven powerful mages for a long time. In a one-on-one fight, he might even defeat one of them.
Before meeting him, she'd heard that Mr. Jehfrit was known for his cunning strategies.
Perhaps he already had a plan.
With that in mind, Wendy relaxed slightly and moved next to Jehfrit, leaning against the cushion.
"Wendy, want some hot pot?" Jehfrit suddenly produced a table.
"…" Wendy was exasperated. "Mr. Jehfrit, aren't you being too relaxed?!"
She glanced outside and noticed the dark mages deliberately turning their backs, pretending not to care.
"…"
So… was Mr. Jehfrit being respected because of his strength?
That's what Wendy imagined.
*Thud*
Jehfrit actually brought out various props.
The energy source? Cards attached to the bottom of the pot, which heated continuously when infused with magic power.
Soon, bubbles began rising in the broth.
"Don't worry. Eating well gives us strength to fight later," Jehfrit said, pulling out two sets of bowls and chopsticks.
"…"
The aroma wafted toward Wendy, making her mouth water. Despite her hesitation, she eventually reached out.
---
Meanwhile…
"Damn it, give Jehfrit back to us!" Gray roared.
"…If you want to save him, defeat me first," Racer said weakly.
Gray had encountered one of Oración Seis—Racer.
Racer wore a helmet and constantly ran circles around Gray.
"I can't keep up with his speed!" Gray's eyes couldn't track Racer's movements, leaving him dizzy and overwhelmed.
Of course, you weren't supposed to see clearly!
Racer never stopped moving, fearing Gray might notice the gaping wound on his head.
For extra precaution, he wore a motorcycle helmet.
Still…
Compared to that guy, his companions seemed pitifully weak.
How boring.
Might as well finish this quickly.
Racer felt blood trickling down his head. He suspected something was wrong with the pills Jehfrit gave him—were they stimulants? Why wouldn't the bleeding stop, and why did he feel so agitated?
"Let's wrap this up with my Hell Motorcycle Show!"
Racer hopped onto a sleek red motorcycle, boosting his speed even further.
*Bam*
No matter how cautious Gray was, he couldn't defend against a speed his eyes couldn't perceive. He was sent flying far away.
"It's over," Racer declared.
Ordinary mages wouldn't stand a chance after being hit like that.
But to his astonishment, Gray flipped mid-air and landed gracefully on his feet.
"What?! Impossible!" Racer was shocked and knocked him down again.
Once more, Gray rose elegantly, unfazed.
"Damn it, this time I'll make sure you stay down!" Racer summoned more motorcycles.
*Rumble*
A swarm of motorcycles charged toward Gray.
*Bam*
Summoning ice blocks, Gray blocked one and leapt onto it skillfully.
"Now I can catch up to you!" Gray infused magic into the bike.
"Hmph, you think you can compete with me?" Racer turned sharply, speeding up. "Then let's settle this with a race!"
"No rules in this contest—you better be prepared!"
Gray followed closely behind.
"Natsu?!"
Lucy skidded to a halt. Ahead, on the river surface, lay Natsu, face-down, his clothes torn to shreds.
Her heart sank. Had Natsu been defeated? Killed?!
Just imagining it made her tremble. She rushed forward.
"Natsu!" Happy cried out behind her.
"Natsu!" Lucy lifted him up, only for him to suddenly raise his head and blast flames at her!
*Ding!* A bell rang abruptly.
"Lucy!" Happy and Carla stared in shock.
Lucy vanished!
"Natsu, you killed Lucy!" Happy sobbed.
"Heh, yeah, and next is you two," Natsu sneered menacingly.
"No! You're not Natsu—who are you?!" Happy realized something was wrong and pulled Carla behind him protectively.
"I am Natsu, Happy—the Fire Dragon Slayer," Natsu advanced toward them.
"Stay back!" Happy shouted, trembling but resolute.
Lucy was gone, without a trace!
Enemies were closing in.
Happy had never faced such dire straits!
He was terrified, utterly hopeless, yet…
"Carla," Happy gritted his teeth. "On three, we split up and run!"
"…Okay." Carla nodded.
"Run? You won't escape," Natsu chuckled as he approached.
"Three, two, one—go!" Happy shouted. Carla immediately flew off, glancing back to check if Happy had escaped—but there was no sign of him on the ground!
Instead, a loud roar came from behind her.
"Headbutt Strike!"
Happy charged at Natsu with reckless abandon.
He understood clearly: running together meant certain failure!
Memories of earlier flashed in his mind—just hours ago.
Carla, you must survive!
"Happy!" Carla's pupils dilated in disbelief. That guy… was willing to sacrifice himself to save her life?!
"Suicide?"
Flames erupted from Natsu's fist as he swung.
"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"
"Open, Gate of Archer! Sagittarius!" Lucy's voice suddenly rang out, followed by an arrow aimed straight at Natsu!
*Bam*
At the last second, Natsu exploded into a cloud of white smoke. Gemini separated, dodging the arrow.
"Zap zap," Gemini retreated, transforming into Lucy.
"Who are you?" Lucy stepped out from behind a tree, wary of the imposter.
Behind her stood Sagittarius and Horologium. Moments ago, Horologium had saved Lucy, allowing her to summon Sagittarius and rescue Happy.
"Lucy, you're okay!" Happy cried, rushing to her side. "I thought… I thought you were…"
"There, there," Lucy said, deeply moved by Happy's bravery. In such a short time, he had accepted the loss of a comrade and was ready to sacrifice himself to buy time for Carla's escape.
Happy's actions were courageous and steadfast!
Still, Lucy reminded him, "Happy, stop crying. Carla's watching."
"Sniff…" Happy quickly wiped his tears. "I'm glad you're safe. Let's work together to defeat that guy and protect Carla!"
"Right." Lucy nodded.
"Hey hey, this ability… could it be…" Sagittarius frowned.
"It's Gemini," Horologium confirmed.
"This spells trouble," Sagittarius realized and shouted to Lucy, "Bad news! That's Gemini! Quickly dismiss us, Lucy!"
"Huh? Why?" Lucy was confused.
"Because…" The Gemini-possessed Lucy smirked smugly. "My orders cannot be resisted!"
*Shhhk*
Suddenly, Sagittarius aimed his bow at Lucy.
"Miss Lucy, move quickly!" He clenched his teeth, struggling to resist.
"Sagittarius, don't do that. Just let go of the arrow," the fake Lucy coaxed.
Lucy's eyes widened. Having faced countless battles—from Phantom Lord to Tower of Heaven to Nirvana—and trained under Jehfrit, she didn't panic. Instead, she swiftly dodged.
*Shhhk*
Sagittarius fired an arrow, narrowly missing Lucy thanks to her quick reflexes.
"Return, Sagittarius, and Horologium!" Lucy hastily dismissed her spirits.
"You reacted quickly, little Lucy," a female voice called from across the river.
Out limped Angel, leaning heavily on a cane, bandages covering her hands and head.
"You're in no condition to fight!" Lucy exclaimed incredulously.
"Mind your own business!" Angel snapped, enraged.
That heartless brute hadn't shown any mercy!
She hadn't even participated in the battle!
Cobra, Racer—they all attacked him, so it made sense for him to retaliate. Brain, Midnight, Hoteye, and Jellal got thrashed because they fought him.
But what about her, Angel?!
She'd fled the moment she saw his overwhelming power. Why did he still throw bombs at her despite her escape?!
And now, injured as she was, he forced her back into the fight!
What a merciless jerk!