"What did you just say?"
Lucien glanced at Gray while noticing Lucy lying stiff on the ground, pretending to be dead.
"This is bad. I didn't expect Iron Forest to possess the magic known as Curse Song," Gray said, his expression tense.
"Curse Song? You mean Death Song?" Lucy immediately dropped the act, fear flashing across her face.
"I don't know the exact details, but it sounds insanely dangerous!" Happy muttered, pulling out a salted fish from his bag and chewing on it absentmindedly.
"Of course it is. That's forbidden magic, known as Death Song."
Lucien's eyes shifted to Lucy with mild surprise. He had always thought she was more muscle than brains, yet she clearly recognized it.
"It seems you're not completely useless."
"Hmph! I read about it in a book," Lucy snapped, clearly irritated by his tone.
"Death Song is a type of magic that destroys life itself. It's also a cursed spell. If it's activated in a populated area, the consequences would be irreversible," Erza's voice came from ahead as she continued moving forward at full speed.
At the same time, in Kuroba Town, a meeting of Light Guild Masters was underway. Makarov was present, along with many powerful figures from other guilds.
"Little Makarov, your guild has been quite… lively lately, hasn't it?"
A chubby bald man with wing-like accessories approached with a grin. Despite his ridiculous appearance, he was the master of Blue Pegasus, a guild as renowned as Fairy Tail.
"I heard about that too. Not long ago, your members caused chaos somewhere and made the officials lose their minds."
"Oh, that must have been Lucy! She's quite something, especially her figure," Makarov said proudly while taking a bite of a chicken leg.
That incident referred to the chaos Lucy caused shortly after joining Fairy Tail alongside Natsu.
"You're still laughing? Being active is one thing, but your guild goes too far. Don't say I didn't warn you, the Council is already concerned about when Fairy Tail might destroy a city," Goldmine, the master of Quatro Cerberus, said seriously while holding a skewer of grilled meat.
"Thanks for the reminder," Makarov replied, his expression turning more serious.
"Master Makarov, a letter from Miss Mira!"
A small blue bird wearing a tiny hat fluttered down, delivering a letter.
"Thank you, you've worked hard," Makarov said kindly as he accepted it.
As he opened the letter, a blue magic circle lit up, and Mira's image appeared within it.
"Master, thank you for attending the regular meeting," Mira said with a gentle smile, her image shimmering like a projection.
"How about that? Our guild's beauty is unmatched, right?" Makarov boasted shamelessly.
"Mira gets more beautiful every time we see her," several guild masters admitted, unable to hide their envy.
"Hello, everyone," Mira greeted politely before her expression turned serious. "Master, Erza just contacted us. The Dark Guild Iron Forest is suspected of possessing Death Song. The situation is critical. They are heading there now. If that magic is used in a city…"
Her words caused the entire hall to fall silent.
"Iron Forest… if I remember correctly, they are connected to the Six Demon Generals. Could this be part of a larger scheme?" the Blue Pegasus master muttered thoughtfully.
"This is too serious. We must stop it."
"Relax. With our S-Class mages involved, everything will be handled," Makarov said confidently.
"You mean Erza? She's strong, no doubt, but she's up against an entire guild," someone questioned.
"Mira, are Natsu, Gray, Lucy, and Lucien with her?"
"Yes. They took the Iron Forest mission together," Mira confirmed.
"With Erza and Lucien there, nothing will go wrong," Makarov said firmly.
After ending the communication, unease still lingered among some of the masters.
Meanwhile, above a railway line, two figures sped through the air.
"Master, Shadow Mountain hasn't reached Kuroba Town yet," Erigor said as he chased the train ahead.
Lucien's eyes narrowed slightly. He still remembered parts of what was to come. The moment he learned about Death Song, he immediately set his sights on it.
The Death Song was no ordinary object. It was a three-eyed skeleton flute with a demon sealed inside. Once played, the demon would awaken and unleash devastation.
To Lucien, that kind of power was nothing less than nourishment.
Originally, Erigor planned for his subordinate, Shadow Mountain, to deliver the flute to Kuroba Town and use it to wipe out the gathered Light Guild Masters. Unfortunately for him, Lucien had no intention of letting that plan succeed.
Five minutes later, the speeding train came into view.
"Found it."
They landed on the last carriage and forced their way inside, drawing startled looks from the passengers.
Lucien walked forward without hesitation, his gaze cold and focused. In the fifth carriage, he found his target.
"Ma… Master?" Shadow Mountain stammered, clutching the hidden flute tightly against his chest. Confusion filled his face. According to the plan, Erigor should have been elsewhere.
Lucien didn't waste a second. His vision pierced through the man's body, locking onto the sinister object hidden within.
He could feel the dark energy pulsing faintly, suppressed but still dangerous.
In an instant, a sharp, bone-like spine shot out from Lucien's back, tearing through flesh and clothing before piercing straight through Shadow Mountain's heart.
The man didn't even have time to scream.
Within seconds, his body crumbled into ash, his soul erased completely.
"Murder!"
"Ahhh!"
Panic exploded throughout the carriage as passengers screamed and fled.
The spine coiled around the skeleton flute and returned it to Lucien's hand. He examined it briefly, his lips curling into a faint, cruel smile.
Without another word, he smashed through the train window and leapt out.
Erigor followed closely behind.
They landed in an open wilderness, the wind howling around them.
Lucien tossed the flute toward Erigor.
"Unseal it."
"Yes, Master."
Erigor didn't hesitate. Raising the flute to his lips, he began to play, initiating the process of releasing the demon sealed within.
◇ I'll drop one bonus chapter for every 10 reviews
(Leave a review/comment)
◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 100
Power Stones.
◇ Read chapters ahead on P-a-t-r-e-o-n.com/_Zeph