"...What?!"
Loke froze, staring at Kaien Blaze.
"Kaien… what are you saying?"
"Exactly what it sounds like," Kaien said flatly. "You're dying because you can't return to the Celestial Spirit World, right? Then I'll just send you back."
"...Send me back?"
"To the Spirit World?!"
Both Loke and Lucy were stunned.
"I mean, I can open gates, but… I don't have Loke's key," Lucy explained. "I'm not his contracted summoner—I can't open his gate!"
She had assumed Kaien brought her here to try to open the gate herself. But opening a gate to a Spirit she hadn't formed a contract with? That was basically impossible.
"You don't need to," Kaien replied. "Just summon any Spirit. I only need a fixed coordinate to the Spirit World. I'll handle the rest."
"...Okay… if you say so."
She was still confused—but she'd learned by now: if Kaien said he could do something, he usually could.
Lucy pulled out a golden key.
"Open, Gate of the Maiden! Virgo!"
A golden magic circle appeared, and a pink-haired maid Spirit emerged—her appearance, however, was… unusual.
She was completely tied up in rope.
"Do you wish to punish me, Princess~?"
"EEEK!!"
Lucy jumped back in horror.
"What are you doing all tied up like that?! You're going to make me look like some kind of freak!"
"...Didn't know you were into that, Lucy."
"I'm NOT!"
Snap!
Kaien snapped his fingers.
WMMM—!
Space itself trembled. The spot where Virgo had appeared rippled—and then tore open.
"W-What is this?!"
Everyone stared in shock.
"This is Dimensional Severance," Kaien said calmly. "It allows me to tear space and travel freely between worlds. It's a power granted by this particular transformation."
"I needed you to summon a Spirit so I could locate the Spirit World through the open gate. That way I can create a stable path without getting lost in the dimensional rift."
"...That's insane."
Even knowing Kaien was strong—this level of reality-breaking power felt outrageous.
Soon, a pitch-black dimensional rift—a Garganta—formed before them.
"All right, Loke. Walk through this, and you'll be home."
Loke stood frozen.
He couldn't believe it.
The path he thought forever closed... the home he'd resigned himself to never seeing again... was right in front of him.
He could feel it—the familiar flow of Celestial Spirit energy beyond the rift. That was the Spirit World.
"That's amazing, Kaien!" Lucy cheered. "Loke—you don't have to die!"
Loke's heart surged with emotion.
He'd tried to play it cool. Pretend he'd accepted death.
But the truth was—he didn't want to go.
He wanted to live. To keep laughing with his friends. To return to the guild.
Then—
BOOM—!
A mighty voice thundered from above.
"Who dares?!"
The sky twisted. Clouds whirled violently. The flowing river froze in place.
And the waterfall—reversed, rising upward in a colossal spiral that pierced the heavens.
From within the vortex, a towering armored figure emerged—glowing with divine majesty.
Loke's eyes widened in shock.
"No... It can't be... That's the—Celestial Spirit King!"
"The king?!" Lucy gasped. "That's the strongest Spirit?!"
She had never imagined she'd meet him here.
"Why... why would he come to the human world?!"
The Celestial Spirit King's voice rumbled like thunder.
"I sensed someone tearing open the barrier between the Spirit and human realms. I came to investigate. So it was you, Leo."
"Leo," he said sternly. "We spirits form contracts with humans under strict terms. We are forbidden to harm our summoners. You may not have killed your master, but you caused her death. I cannot allow you to return."
"...What kind of nonsense is that?!"
Lucy stepped forward, boldly standing between them.
"He did it to protect Aries! It wasn't murder—it was mercy! He didn't want her to suffer anymore!"
The Spirit King looked at her with ancient eyes.
"I understand your grief, young summoner. I mourn for Aries as well. But these are the laws of our world. I cannot change them."
"Don't give me that 'old friend' talk!" Lucy snapped. "This isn't about you and him. It's about what's right!"
She pointed at him, furious.
"This was a tragedy! Not a crime! You say Loke is guilty—of what?! Wanting to protect a friend? Of putting himself in danger so someone else wouldn't suffer?"
"You're a Spirit. You of all people should understand Aries' and Loke's pain!"
Loke rushed forward to stop her.
"Lucy, stop! That's the Spirit King! You can't talk to him like that!"
He turned toward the King and bowed low.
"Your Majesty... Karen's death was my fault. I accept full responsibility. If I must die, then so be it. Just... please don't involve them."
But Kaien's voice rang out cold and clear—
"I refuse."
"...Kaien?!"
Everyone turned to face him.
Kaien's eyes narrowed.
"That woman died because of her own cruelty. Loke had nothing to do with it."
"He's suffered for three years in the human world. That's punishment enough."
"Now—Loke is a member of Fairy Tail."
"And I intend to send him home. If you try to stop me…"
Kaien vanished—and appeared midair, face-to-face with the Spirit King.
"...then you'll be our enemy."
He stared the towering spirit down.
"Spirit King, if you don't want to die—get out of my way."
He was done talking. He had no patience left for giants trying to intimidate him.
Loke's life was on the line. That was all that mattered.
"Wait—Kaien, that's the Spirit King!" Loke shouted, panicking. "You can't just—!"
"Yeah, don't be reckless!" Lucy added quickly. "He's insanely powerful! The reason most Spirits seem weak is because I'm not strong enough to bring out their full potential—but the Spirit King... he's the real deal!"
The King, however, simply smiled.
"Hmph… Such boldness. I haven't seen courage like that in centuries."
"Very well."
"I'll give Leo… a chance."
"If you can land even a single clean hit on me—then I will allow Leo to return to the Celestial Spirit World."