Lucy, her eyes blazing with determination, refused to back down, no matter what anyone said.
She had to find a way to send Loke back, his mistake didn't deserve such a severe punishment.
Though Loke seemed fine now, Lucy knew that without Marco's intervention, he might have vanished long ago.
This situation was utterly unacceptable to Lucy. She had to try everything in her power and couldn't simply stand by and do nothing.
"Exactly, we have to try," Hisui nodded in agreement. While she didn't share Lucy's deep affection for Celestial Spirits, she was willing to help.
Lucy was her junior and Loke was a Guild comrade; she couldn't possibly abandon them in such a situation.
Makarov glanced at Marco, signaling him to intervene.
These two were Marco's apprentices, and Loke had been brought to the Guild by him.
Since they were planning such a major undertaking involving another wondrous world, Marco had to say something.
After a moment of silence, Marco finally spoke. "There's no harm in trying."
Marco also had his own reasons for wanting to try.
After all, resolving Loke's problem was part of his mission, and the reward was the Leo Gold Cloth—a prize well worth pursuing.
"We're just trying to open the gate," Marco explained under Makarov's watchful gaze. "It might not even be dangerous. At most, we'll face off against some Celestial Spirits. I don't think that's too risky."
Marco's dismissive tone toward the Celestial Spirits' strength in Earthland was clear.
They were far too constrained by the world's limitations here.
Of course, that was assuming they didn't recklessly invade the spirits' own Celestial Spirit World.
In their home realm, the spirits would undoubtedly have the advantage.
"That's too risky," Makarov sighed. "We know nothing about the Celestial Spirit World, and we have no idea what the Celestial Spirit King's temperament is."
He found the whole idea reckless.
The Celestial Spirit World had existed for eons, and its King had ruled the spirits for just as long.
How could such a formidable power be so easily manipulated?
"We'll focus on communication first," Marco insisted. "If we can persuade the Celestial Spirit King to change his mind, Loke can return to the Celestial Spirit World."
Marco had no intention of starting a direct conflict with the spirits.
If a problem could be resolved through diplomacy, there was no need for violence.
"Why don't we wait until Gildarts recovers from his injuries, and Erza and Mirajane return before proceeding?" Makarov suggested.
Seeing Marco's support, Makarov proposed an alternative plan.
His suggestion was more direct: prepare for war by waiting for their strongest fighters to arrive before forcibly opening the Celestial Spirit Gate.
"Um, wouldn't that seem a bit insincere?" Lucy countered.
She genuinely didn't want to resort to violence.
She believed the Celestial Spirits wouldn't be unreasonable beings.
Based on her understanding of them, their king couldn't possibly be so tyrannical as to refuse even a chance to speak.
"Let's just go out together and find a place to try it," Marco declared, cutting off the debate.
Even if a battle erupted, the real challenge lay with the Celestial Spirit King.
If he could defeat the king, the other Celestial Spirits would pose no challenge.
But if he couldn't defeat the king, no matter how many allies they brought, they'd still be powerless.
"Great! Let's go to the East Suburban Forest!" Lucy and Hisui cheered, relieved by Marco's support.
Lucy immediately chose the location, once again opting for the "perennially disaster-prone" East Forest.
"Alright, I'll come along and keep an eye on things," Makarov grumbled.
Makarov sighed.
The young ones were determined to go, and he couldn't stop them.
All he could do was accompany them, offering as much help as possible. If things went south, he could at least buy them some time.
"Don't worry, I don't think it'll be a big problem," Marco reassured his grandfather with a smile.
He understood the old man's anxiety, Gildarts's ordeal had deeply affected Master Makarov, leaving him with a touch of PTSD when it came to these legendary, enigmatic beings.
"What if this "Celestial Spirit King" turns out to be another terrifying entity like the Black Dragon? How would we even reason with such a being?"
"That won't happen," Marco insisted. "Celestial Spirit King would never despise them, especially Lucy. Her devotion to Celestial Spirits would surely move him."
What truly eased Makarov's mind, however, was the reassurance from Loke, the Leo Celestial Spirit.
His words carried weight.
Though Loke, the "Leader of the Zodiac," had been sentenced to such a harsh punishment, it was hard to believe the Celestial Spirit King was a benevolent being.
Yet, viewed from another angle, the severity of Loke's punishment for indirectly causing the death of his contractor might actually demonstrate the King's unwavering commitment to contracts.
'if Loke, who indirectly caused his contractor's death, was punished so severely, doesn't that prove the Celestial Spirit King values contracts above all else?'
If that were the case, Lucy and Hisui's plan might not be so dangerous after all.
Their forceful attempt to open the gate to rescue Loke might actually appeal to the Celestial Spirit King's sensibilities.
...
With these thoughts swirling in their minds, the group of four, accompanied by a Celestial Spirit, arrived at the "disaster-prone" East Suburban Forest.
The Magic Power in this place was exceptionally dense, which would actually benefit spellcasting, especially for a Magic Power-intensive technique like "forcefully opening a gate."
"Ready?" Lucy asked, her gaze meeting Hisui's.
Both wore solemn expressions.
"No problem. Let's begin," Hisui nodded, having already focused her energy.
Together, they would attempt to open the Leo Gate, summoning the Leo Celestial Spirit!
"I, who connects the path to the Celestial Spirit World, command you, respond to my summons! Pass through the gate! Open now, Gate of Leo!"
Lucy and Hisui began channeling their magic.
Using Loke, the Leo Celestial Spirit as a medium, they attempted to open the Leo Gate and send Loke back to the Celestial Spirit World.
This was entirely plausible.
Just as Celestial Spirits arrive in Earthland through Celestial Spirit Gates, they return the same way.
If Loke wanted to return to the Celestial Spirit World, he would have to pass through the Leo Gate.
Logically, if Loke's magic power were insufficient, the Leo Gate would automatically open, allowing him to return.
The problem now was that the Celestial Spirit King had locked the gate.
Lucy and Hisui's task was to pry or force the gate open, making their voices heard by the Celestial Spirit King.
*Buzz!!!*
Under the watchful eyes of Marco and Makarov, Lucy and Hisui's magic actually worked.
The Leo Gate was indeed activated and materialized, but the gate remained closed, still refusing passage to Leo, its former master.
"Damn it! Open up! Why won't you let him return?!"
Lucy was utterly bewildered.
She pushed her body to its limits, frantically channeling magic power, even drawing upon the celestial energy of Cygnus.
Hisui mirrored her efforts, the constellations of Cygnus and Lyra blazing in the sky, showering starlight to replenish their dwindling magic power.
'Boom!!!'
Finally, the Leo Gate shuddered.
But instead of allowing Loke to return, something else emerged from it.