"Teleported?"
A woman sat on a monster. Red hair, the same face as Erza. In this world, she was the Captain of the Edolas Royal Army's Second Magic Warfare Unit: Erza Knightwalker.
"Yeah—! These fairies really do run faster than rabbits."
A second figure appeared: a man in armor with a tall pompadour. Captain of the Fourth Magic Warfare Unit—Sugarboy.
"Sugarboy, you're here too!"
"Yeah—! Shame, really. This 'Fairy Hunt' was a bust. But those pests can't keep teleporting much longer. They're almost out. Their last day on the run is coming. And it looks like the plan with that massive Anima worked. That's why all the Magic Warfare Units are heading back to the Royal City."
"So Fairy Tail over in Earth Land has already been wiped out?!"
"Not wiped out. Absorbed. Our King is setting up something big."
"What happened to the mages from Earth Land who were absorbed?"
"In the Royal City, they've been turned into one huge Magic Crystal."
"Good. Then Edolas will have magic power for a while."
In a remote wasteland, the ground split. A sapling punched up through the dirt and shot upward at a ridiculous speed. In seconds, it reshaped itself into the exact Fairy Tail guild building from moments ago.
"You bastards!! The move is complete!!"
Levy screamed until she was hoarse.
"A move?"
"The whole guild shifted location?"
"That's insane…"
Natsu and the others just stared. Moving an entire guildhall in one shot—this kind of teleportation magic wasn't normal.
Kael didn't look shocked. With his own instant-jump technique, he could move things like this. Still, he could tell the control required here wasn't sloppy.
"Is everyone okay?!"
"We're fine!"
"Lisanna!"
"I'm okay, Elfman."…
Lucy spun on Levy, furious. "You brat, what took you so long? That was dangerous!"
Levy snapped right back. "Shut up! Then you do it!"
Natsu barely heard them. He was stuck on what he'd seen. He was sure of it—too sure. "What… what was that? That person just now…"
Lucy blinked at him. "What's wrong with you, Natsu? Did you forget? That was one of the Royal City's Magic Warfare captains—Erza Knightwalker. People call her 'Erza the Fairy Hunter.'"
"Erza… is an enemy?!"
Natsu and the others froze like the floor dropped out.
Lucy leaned in, annoyed. "Hey. What is up with you today? You've been acting weird ever since you got back. Did you hit your head? Want me to knock your memory back into place?"
Kael stepped in. "It's simple. He isn't the Natsu you know."
That was the opening. Kael and the others used it to lay everything out.
"What does that mean? You're from another world called Earth Land, and you came here to save your friends?"
"There's a Fairy Tail in that world too…"
"And the Erza over there is one of your people?"
Nobody wanted to believe it, but they couldn't ignore what they were hearing. The idea that Erza—the Fairy Hunter, the one who'd killed their friends—could be Fairy Tail in another world made their stomachs turn.
One voice finally said it, carefully.
"As hard as it is to believe, it's true. The Natsu standing here isn't the one we know."
A smaller voice followed, unsure. "Is this child… the 'me' from that world…?"
"And you're Mira's boyfriend, in that world?"
People looked at Kael. Mira looked away, embarrassed. It was complicated, and standing there made it feel even weirder.
"Our companions were absorbed by the King of this world," Kael said. "If we don't move fast, everyone will be turned into raw magic."
He didn't soften it. "So we need you to tell us the way to the Royal City."
The room went quiet. Not the calm kind—more like everyone braced at the same time.
Adult Wendy spoke up. "I'm sorry to the smaller version of me, but I think you should stop. Anyone who challenges the King of Edolas dies badly. That Kingdom is beyond what you think."
Gray picked up the thread, serious. "In this world, magic power is limited. It runs out. The King got scared and started grabbing it all for himself. Right, Juvia?"
Juvia nodded. "Because of that… every mage guild was ordered to disband. At first, everyone resisted. But the Royal Army's Magic Warfare Units crushed them—one by one. We're the only guild left."
Then the complaints poured out, blunt and tired.
"Of course, we didn't get away clean."
"We've already lost half of our comrades. Even the Master was killed."
"Just surviving as fugitives takes everything we have. So stay away from there. Go back to your own world!"…
Years of being hunted had worn them down. If they weren't holding each other up, they would've collapsed a long time ago.
And they weren't just afraid—they were running out of options. The magic used to relocate the guild was nearly gone, which was why the teleport circle had taken so long this time. If the Kingdom found them again, they might not be able to run at all. That thought sat in their throats like a stone.
Kael answered like none of it could touch him. "Fine. Just tell me where the Royal City is. You don't need to worry about the rest."
Then he said it plainly. "I'm going to destroy the Edolas Kingdom. You won't have to live as fugitives anymore."
"…"
The guild went silent again—this time because the sentence didn't fit reality.
Lucy exploded. "What kind of nonsense are you talking?! Destroy the Edolas Kingdom?! Do you even understand how strong they are?! They have an army of a hundred thousand, and every one of them has magic gear! It's impossible to win!!"
She wasn't just angry—she was scared they were about to throw their lives away.
"Kael is really strong, but… if they have a hundred thousand…"
Even Wendy hesitated. Numbers like that felt unreal.
Kael reached over and ruffled Wendy's hair, casual.
"Don't worry," he said. "A hundred thousand is nothing. A million wouldn't matter either. Just tell me where the Royal City is. I'll wipe them out and bring everyone back."
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