"You're seriously useless! How could you let him get away?!"
"What did you say?! You think beating up one lackey makes you special?!"
"Still better than doing nothing like you!"
…
Natsu and Gray must have been born to be rivals—put them together for five minutes and they were already at each other's throats.
And the reason for their argument? The situation hadn't been fully resolved.
Right after Natsu defeated Erigor, Erza and the others arrived by Magic Vehicle.
But that guy Kageyama had taken advantage of the distraction, stole Lullaby, and drove off in the vehicle without anyone noticing.
So naturally, Natsu shoved all the blame on Gray—and just like that, the bickering began.
"You two! Is now really the time for this?!"
Their shouting match was abruptly ended—courtesy of a chop to the neck from Erza.
She turned toward Charles. "Sorry to trouble you again! You know flight magic—please fly ahead to the Master and warn them that someone's planning an attack. We'll catch up as fast as we can!"
Charles replied, "Honestly, I don't think there's anything to worry about. Those guild masters may be old geezers, but make no mistake—they're the strongest mages in this country. They don't need anyone's concern.
But if it'll ease your minds, I'll go."
Charles spread his Fire Dragon Wings and flew along the railway, straight toward the next town—Clover.
Along the way, he spotted the abandoned Magic Vehicle. Clearly, Kageyama wasn't an idiot—once he realized Charles could fly, he ditched the more obvious escape method.
Charles had no interest in tracking him down. Instead, he flew full speed to Clover.
He'd expected to have to search for the meeting location of the guild masters once he arrived—but to his surprise, a huge banner greeted him right at the entrance.
Road signs clearly pointed the way.
When Charles arrived, he found the guild masters gathered and drinking together, laughing over casual conversation.
…
Oshibana and Clover were separated by a vast canyon. Aside from the train, there was no other means of transportation.
With Oshibana's station out of commission and the Magic Vehicle stolen, Erza's group had no choice but to run the entire way to Clover.
As they arrived, they spotted Kageyama talking with a short, elderly man in pajamas at the edge of the forest.
Kageyama held what looked like a tree branch—Lullaby—a flute ending in a grotesque, three-eyed skull. He was raising it to his mouth, seemingly ready to play.
"No!"
Everyone's faces turned pale. After all, this was the legendary cursed magic item. If it were truly played, everyone nearby would be doomed.
Worst of all, the little pajama-clad old man—Makarov, Master of Fairy Tail—was closest to Kageyama, and would be the first victim.
"Shhh!"
Suddenly, a flamboyantly dressed person who looked like a loud auntie appeared and stopped the group.
Despite appearances, the short, fat, bald figure was actually a man—Bob, Master of Blue Pegasus.
"This part's getting good! Just watch quietly."
Everyone froze in shock—especially Natsu and Gray, who trembled at the overly enthusiastic cross-dressing uncle.
Soon, they realized they weren't alone. Leaning against a tree was Goldmine, Master of Quatro Cerberus. Standing nearby… was Charles.
Erza ran up to him. "Weren't you supposed to warn the masters? What's going on?!"
Charles sighed. "You guys really underestimate these old men. They already knew about Lullaby. Even without us, they wouldn't be in any danger."
Sure enough, when Charles had arrived and informed the guild masters, none of them had shown the slightest surprise.
Which made sense. Iron Forest had been making such a fuss over Lullaby, practically announcing their plans to the world—of course the guild leaders would have heard.
Relieved, Erza stood beside Charles and decided to watch how things unfolded.
Below, Makarov calmly looked at the hesitating Kageyama.
"Nothing will change, you know. A weak heart remains weak, no matter the time or place. But not all weakness is bad."
Everyone fell silent, listening to Makarov's words.
"Because humans are weak creatures by nature. Alone, we feel afraid. That's why we need guilds—and we need comrades. To live strongly, we must support one another.
Clumsy people hit walls more often than others. They might take longer paths. But as long as they believe in tomorrow and take a brave step forward, strength will follow—and they'll live with a smile.
You don't need a cursed flute to do that."
Charles smiled. Makarov was just as he remembered—on the surface, a carefree old geezer, but in truth, a wise and compassionate elder who guided the lost.
"Master!"
"Old man!"
When Kageyama finally collapsed in surrender, everyone rushed forward.
"Not bad at all, Master! You really got me choked up with that speech!"
Erza yanked Makarov into a hug—completely forgetting she was wearing her rigid armor.
"So hard!"
Makarov's head slammed into her armored chest with a resounding clang. It made everyone flinch just hearing it.
"You're the best, old man!"
Natsu grinned and slapped Makarov's head without restraint.
That, too, was Fairy Tail's unique way of showing affection—rowdy, chaotic, but full of warmth.
But Charles didn't relax.
Even though Kageyama had surrendered, he could sense ominous magical energy still leaking from Lullaby, now discarded on the ground.
"None of you are worth anything! All show, no skill!"
A deep, eerie voice echoed. Everyone turned toward Lullaby as black mist rose from it, swirling into the sky and forming a massive purple-black magic circle.
"I've had enough. I'll devour your souls myself!"
With those words, a hulking figure emerged from the magic array—like a tree spirit from legend, but with a dried, decayed body full of holes.
Its head bore three eyes glowing with an ominous purple light.
It stood dozens of meters tall—even hunched over, it towered above the surrounding hills.
"So that's the true form of the Demon from the Book of Zeref—Lullaby," someone muttered.
Charles cracked his shoulders and stepped forward. "Looks pretty scary, I'll give you that."
He activated his full-power Dragonblood Mode—scorching flames roared skyward. The heat and shockwave forced everyone to step back.
"Leave this thing to me! Now this is a fight worth having—I'm fired up!"
The fire radiating from Charles drew Lullaby's attention. It opened its mouth, gathering massive amounts of magic—enough to obliterate a mountain.
But in the next moment, its head jerked backward—the magic beam shot into the sky, blasting apart the clouds.
Charles had rocketed up and delivered an uppercut straight to its chin.
Compared to Lullaby's colossal frame, Charles was like an ant—yet the impact shook the entire monster, leaving everyone stunned.
Lullaby raised a massive hand to crush the buzzing gnat—but Charles nimbly dodged using his fire wings.
He flew along its arm, right up to its face.
"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"
Charles's punch landed square on its face. A massive explosion of flames engulfed Lullaby's head—its charred skull sizzled, parts completely turned to ash. The force of the blow knocked it flat on its back.
Lullaby's greatest threat was its curse-based magic—its physical combat ability was nothing special. Charles found himself disappointed. This wasn't even a challenge.
"Dragon Slayer Secret Art: Shiranui Style—Crimson Lotus Phoenix Blade!"
A massive, blazing firebird formed in the sky, its wings outstretched. It carved through the clouds, descending like a divine sword aimed straight at Lullaby.
As the demon roared, a giant flame sword pierced its chest. The onlookers could only watch the shadow inside the flames shrink smaller and smaller—until it disappeared completely.
"That's it?!" Lucy said in disbelief. When Lullaby first appeared, she'd truly feared the worst.
But in the blink of an eye, it had been utterly destroyed.
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