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This is a peculiar world.
There is no land, no ocean—countless islands float beneath the sky.
These islands, varying in size, have steep edges and pointed stone peaks at their bases that pierce the clouds like spears.
Rivers wind across the islands, eventually forming waterfalls that plummet from the island edges, only to be dispersed into mist by the wind, slowly flowing around the floating islands.
The vegetation and environments on these islands each have their own unique characteristics: sprawling grasslands, dense forests, and also strange dark purple plants, giant mushrooms three or four people tall...
Among the hundreds of floating islands, there is one whose area is so vast that it is several, even more than a dozen, times the size of a smaller floating island.
Most humans choose to live on this floating island, as it is the largest human settlement—a human kingdom that shares the same name as the world: the Kingdom of Edolas.
The majestic royal palace occupies the center of the giant island, with ordinary buildings arranged in an orderly fashion, guarding it and extending outward.
Diagonally above the royal palace is a small floating island, which was drawn in by the kingdom's Dragon Chain Cannon.
Even from a distance, one can see the hundred-meter-tall giant Lacrima in the shape of a tower on the small island.
It was this enormous Lacrima, which suddenly descended from the sky half a year ago, that caused the kingdom to suspend its "Life Guidance After Magic Disappears" propaganda, and later even cancel the plan altogether.
Every day, a large amount of Magic Power is released from the small island carrying the tower-shaped Lacrima, bringing a glimmer of hope to this world where Magic Power is on the verge of depletion.
But there are always ambitious individuals with ulterior motives, plotting to seize the Lacrima, hoping to control the world with this precious resource.
However, the First Magic War Division stationed on the small island will not let them succeed, and Pantherlily, the leader of the First Magic War Division guarding this place, has crushed countless ambitions with his magical weapon, the Musica Sword.
As usual, the soldier on the watchtower observed everything around the small island.
The lack of incidents for nearly a month had caused the sentinel to relax slightly, but an anomaly in the sky made his face change drastically.
Through the telescope, the sentinel vaguely saw dozens of figures suddenly appearing above the small island.
Professional instinct immediately made him pull the alarm.
"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"
"The enemy is in the sky!"
Amidst the piercing alarm, a tall figure clad in airtight armor, carrying a greatsword on his back, walked out of the garrison.
His broad back made the soldiers feel as if they had taken a reassuring pill.
"Soldier, report the enemy count."
Pantherlily's calm and steady voice immediately received a response from his subordinate. "Reporting, Commander, there are approximately sixty enemies."
Hearing that there were as many as sixty people, Pantherlily snorted coldly.
Beneath the helmet that covered half of his face, a non-human, furry chin was revealed.
"With the support of the Exceed Kingdom, those who want to seize the Lacrima are increasing."
"But as long as I'm here, I will never let those hypocritical bastards succeed."
Lily ordered his subordinates to retreat, and the greatsword, Musica Sword, on his back was unsheathed.
This was a magical weapon that could freely change its size.
As Lily gripped the hilt with both hands, the Musica Sword suddenly expanded to its twenty-meter limit, and the blade emitted a dazzling light, sweeping toward the "attackers" in the sky.
As one of the kingdom's current strongest individuals, both the soldiers and Lily himself were full of confidence in his strength, believing that this move would ensure the enemy's demise.
However, the next second, the sword sweeping toward the sky was suddenly forcibly stopped by a powerful force, which made Lily feel uneasy.
Before he could withdraw the Musica Sword, Lily saw a figure dashing down, stepping on the greatsword's blade.
His speed was so fast that Lily had no time to react, and the person had already arrived in front of him.
"Yo, Big Black Cat, as soon as I get back, you give me such a big welcome gift~"
Listening to the familiar teasing tone, Lily couldn't help but take a deep breath, raising the visor on his helmet to reveal a cat-like face resembling a black panther.
That's right, Pantherlily is an Exceed, and his physique is considered tall even among humans.
Lily rubbed his eyes with his hand, his round cat eyes staring incredulously at the white-haired youth.
"No way... Noah?!"
"Hahaha, didn't expect it, did you, Lily? I'm back again."
Noah, ignoring the stunned Big Black Cat, jumped off the greatsword with a laugh.
The Fairy Tail group, supported by his wind magic, also slowly landed at this time.
The Fairy Tail members curiously observed everything around them, predictably chattering away.
"Wow~ It's so beautiful here."
"So many islands floating in the sky—it's truly amazing!"
"Those purple flowers and plants are really pretty too."
"Such a large Lacrima must be the Tower of Heaven that absorbed Etherion."
"That big black cat in armor over there, come be my partner!"
"What do you mean 'your cat,' Gajeel? Are you so obsessed with cats that you've lost your mind?"
"..."
Amidst the clamor, Lily recovered and then composed himself, looking at Noah. "Noah, who are they?"
"My companions from another world."
After realizing that this group of people were not enemies, Lily put away his greatsword.
Aside from sending one soldier to the royal palace to report, everyone else resumed their duties.
Noah hooked his arm around Lily's shoulder and faced his companions, saying, "Come, come, let me introduce everyone."
"This is Pantherlily, the commander of the First Magic War Division of the Kingdom of Edolas."
"He taught me combat techniques when I was little, and he's a very formidable Exceed~"
"You didn't have to say that last part, Noah."
Lily seemed to have some aversion to his origins.
But the Fairy Tail members didn't notice, because Lily could wield a twenty-meter magical greatsword, and many of them admitted they couldn't withstand such a blow.
Compared to Happy and other Exceeds who only knew how to be cute, the tough-guy style of Lily was truly the cat of all cats, the Exceed of all Exceeds.
In short, he was both handsome and strong!
Listening to the praises from those around him, Lily remained expressionless but felt very pleased inside.
He was the commander of the First Magic War Division. How could he not have strength?
Noah pushed aside Gajeel, who had stopped in his tracks upon seeing Lily. "Lily, let me introduce them to you."
"Some of them you might have seen counterparts of in this world."
"That pink-haired hothead is named Natsu. He's a master at causing trouble."
"See the guy next to Natsu who isn't wearing a shirt? His name is Gray, and he's an exhibitionist."
"Let's have the guards arrest both of them later, so they don't cause trouble for the kingdom."
Lily's mouth twitched.
Openly arranging for your companions to go to jail—is that really okay...?
To be able to do such a thing, it truly is you, Noah.
Unaware that Big Black Cat was silently complaining about him, Noah introduced Makarov to Lily.
When he heard that Makarov was the counterpart of King Faust, Lily's jaw dropped.
One with thick hair and a tall stature, the other small and thin with a bald spot—that these two were the same person from two parallel worlds would surprise anyone.
After introducing Makarov, Noah intended to introduce Mystogan to Lily, but before he could speak, Mystogan, who had already removed his mask, spoke first.
"Long time no see, Lily."
Lily's round ears twitched as he looked at Mystogan, unconsciously superimposing him with the abandoned child he had found many years ago.
Many years ago, Lily was still a member of the Exceed Kingdom, and because he rescued an abandoned little boy, he was banished from his homeland.
Lily did not blame the child for any of this. Instead, he encouraged him.
Lily clearly remembered the scene of their last meeting: the child, in order to oppose his father's insane plan, resolutely jumped into Anima and was transported to another world.
He had thought they would never see each other again, yet here he was, seeing him again today, more than ten years later.
Thousands of words were in his heart, but in the end, they transformed into a smile on Lily's face.
"It's truly wonderful to see you again, Prince."