"No way, that's impossible," Lucy's face was a mask of total disbelief. "I mean, come on—it's the Magic Council, the ones who oversee every guild out there."
"Even if they're not super strong, they wouldn't straight-up screw things up for us, right?"
"Wanna bet on it?" Roger arched an eyebrow at her.
"B-Bet?!" Lucy instinctively took half a step back, her back hitting the cold wall. The sudden chill made her jump, and her voice came out all stuttery: "W-What're we betting?"
"Let's bet on whether the Council ends up causing us trouble. If they don't drag us down, I'll fork over 500,000 Jewels."
"Five—500,000 Jewels?!" Lucy's eyes turned into dollar signs on the spot.
"That's half a year's rent!!!"
Seeing her light up like a kid in a candy store, Erza looked a little puzzled. "Didn't you get 550,000 Jewels from that Galuna Island job last time? How are you still so broke?"
Lucy's face crumpled like she was about to burst into tears. "QAQ That scrap with Gajeel trashed way too much stuff—"
"←_← Levy covered most of it, but my savings got wiped out too. Now I've only got enough left for basics."
She let out a long sigh. "The high-level jobs at the guild are insanely competitive—I can't snag 'em at all. So I end up stuck with the basic ones on my own."
"Even teaming up with Natsu and the gang for some bounty hunts, half—or more—of the payout goes straight to fixing the collateral damage from our fights."
"Ehhh~" Mirajane drew out the sound in a teasing murmur, her tone all mysterious. "Lucy—you're really strapped for cash, huh?"
"500,000 Jewels—that'd let me train in peace for ages if I win—" Lucy clenched her fists, then snapped her head up to stare at Roger.
"B-But what if I lose?"
"Hmm."
Roger pretended to mull it over, tapping his fingertips lightly on his arm. His gaze flicked over to Erza and Mirajane nearby, then he broke into a grin.
"If you lose, you gotta take a week of joint special training from Erza and Mirajane."
"Special training from Erza and Mirajane?!?!" Lucy yelped in shock, clapping a hand over her mouth.
She whipped her head around in panic. Mirajane was giving her a sweet, smiling wave, while Erza stood there with her arms crossed, nodding thoughtfully like she thought it was a solid idea.
Lucy's brows furrowed into a deep knot, her mind spinning like a battlefield.
These bets both sounded like wins for her—if she pulled it off, she'd score 500,000 Jewels. If she lost, a week under those two would toughen her up in record time.
But—Natsu and Gray's terrified stories from before were still echoing in her ears. And now Mirajane too—?
She had no clue what Mirajane's training would even be like, but that girl was no lightweight, that was for sure!!
Ugh... this is so tough. Should I take the bet with Roger or not?
"Aww~" Mirajane's voice floated over all light and airy. "If Lucy doesn't wanna bet, that's fine~ Let's just go take down Laxus right now."
"If we hustle, we can head back and crash at that fancy 500,000-Jewels-a-night resort spot~"
"Wait! Hold on!!" The sudden push jolted Lucy's brain into blank mode, and flashes from that casino earlier popped into her head.
Hold up—Roger's luck with bets kinda sucks, right? It's a 50-50 shot! My odds might actually be better!!
Roger was just about to open his mouth when Lucy's brain short-circuited, and she blurted out: "I'm in!"
"Deal," Roger said, his lips curving up just a smidge. "Contract sealed, yeah~?"
Something about that smile sent a random chill down Lucy's spine, but hey—it was the Council! Even if they couldn't help, they wouldn't actively mess things up... right?
She swallowed hard, steeling herself with a nod. "Y-Yeah, contract sealed—"
The words had barely left her mouth when Happy wriggled free from Millianna's magical grip, zipped over to Lucy, and splayed out his paws with a throaty sigh.
"Poor Lucy—betting against Roger? And then getting tag-teamed by Erza and Mirajane for training?"
"You're toast~ No hope left~"
Natsu shot her a pitying look too. "You're done for. Totally screwed."
"Wh-What do you mean 'done for'!" Lucy hollered, fuming. "Can't you guys say something lucky for once?!"
"And anyway," she glanced down at the totally chill Roger nearby, muttering under her breath like she was testing the waters: "Isn't Roger's betting luck pretty rotten? Doesn't that mean I've got a huge edge?"
Happy gave her that "you're so naive" face, shaking his head all wise-old-man style.
"That's why you're still such a kid, Lucy! Gambling cards is about luck, but betting? That's all up here—" He tapped his paw on his forehead.
Happy's face got all nostalgic. "Back in the day, me and Natsu didn't believe the hype. We bet against him... and lost our shirts. Ended up scrubbing the guild hall clean for a whole year!"
"Which turned into two and a half years!"
Lucy: "==Didn't you just say a year? How'd it jump to two and a half?"
"Don't sweat the small stuff!" Happy swatted her nose with a paw. "The point is! Roger never—"
"Loses!"
"A bet!"
"His card luck's got nothing to do with it!"
"N-No way," Lucy's gut twisted with a sudden wave of fear. To psych herself up, she yelled back, straining her voice: "M-Maybe he'll misread it this time! I can't even imagine how the Council could screw us over!"
"No sweat," Roger said with a shrug, dropping the line all cryptic-like. "We've still got time anyway. Let's go handle those brainwashed folks outside first."
"Go easy—no heavy hits. Knock 'em out, that's it. I've got plans for 'em later."
"St-Still got time?" Lucy's stomach dropped with a seriously bad vibe.
The group ditched the stealth and strolled right out of Simon's room like they owned the place.
The hallway outside was eerily quiet, like a ghost town. What should've been a bustling corridor was dead empty—no footsteps, no chatter, not even a breath. Just the cold glow from the magic crystal lamps on the walls.
"Huh?" Happy hovered a bit higher, peering around. "Where'd everybody go? They all chase after those Council guys or what?"
Simon paused for a sec, then headed west. "They're probably in the Hall of Judgment. It's set up for cornering and punishing enemies—out of the way, soundproof too."
"Hall of Judgment?" Gray crossed his arms, scoffing with a smirk. "What a cocky name. A bunch of brainwashed cultists, playing judge like they're subbing for their 'god'?"
The crew trailed Simon through the maze of corridors and stairs. The west wall was plastered with wild, fanatical praise-scribbles—every couple steps, some fresh gush about Jellal.
The words hit everyone like a gut punch. No one was saying them out loud, but staring at 'em felt like they were force-feeding your brain propaganda. It left Lucy feeling kinda queasy.
The mood was getting heavy when Roger piped up out of nowhere, cutting the weird tension.
"Simon, you ever spot an old guy named Rob around here? Hair sticks up like a quill tip."
"Rob?" Simon racked his brain, but shook his head. "Nah, never heard of him. Didn't see anyone matching that when I first got to the tower looking for Juvia either."
"Why ask now?"
"Nothin' big. Just remembered some old intel I read—missing geezer. Wondered if he'd gotten snagged in the Tower of Heaven."
Not caught in the Tower of Heaven... so does that mean Rob dodged a bullet because of me?
They twisted and turned for a bit longer until a massive iron door loomed at the end of the hall, etched with a pitch-black sun emblem.
Two young guards stood in front. They spotted Simon and opened their mouths to chew him out for being late.
Next second—bam! A red blur and a white streak whipped past like a gale!
Erza and Mirajane struck at the same time, their fists slicing the air with a faint whoosh, nailing the guys' jaws dead-on.
They didn't even get a yelp out before crumpling backward, thudding to the stone floor. Their heads bounced once, and they were lights-out.
"S-So cool, nya!" Millianna's cat-like slit pupils went wide as saucers, her tail fluffing up behind her.
"Couldn't even see the moves! Down in one shot, nya!"
Erza didn't break stride, shoving the heavy door open.
The sight inside hit them all like a fever dream—a mini Colosseum, Roman-style. The tiered seats were jammed with frenzied young faces, all howling their lungs out at the arena floor:
"Burn 'em alive!"
"Sinners blocking Lord Jellal's revival! They gotta pay with their lives!"
"They're stealing our freedom and joy! Drown 'em!"
The roar was deafening, like a stampede—dozens of voices thundering like an army.
Down in the center, three iron cages held trembling kids.
The one in front was bawling his eyes out, pleading uselessly: "It wasn't me! I didn't mean to bring him in! I had no idea he was from the Council! I'm a follower of Lord Jellal too! We're on the same side!"
The girl in front of him, torch raised high, stared him down ice-cold. "Then prove your loyalty—with your life."
She lowered the flame, the fire inches from singeing his clothes—when a gasp echoed from the door:
"Who the hell are you?! I've never seen you around!"
The torch girl whipped around. A pack of strangers crammed the doorway, the blonde up front frozen like a deer in headlights.
Lucy, who'd gotten curious and edged too far forward without thinking.
In a flash, every hostile glare locked onto her.
Lucy's scalp prickled. She threw up a hand to rub the back of her neck, forcing a stiff grin. "H-Haha..."
"W-We, uh, we're followers of Lord Jellal too, y'know?"
"That mark on her hand! I've seen it outside!" One of the caged boys exploded, yelling: "It's Fairy Tail! They're from a legit guild! Invaders!"
Lucy yanked her right hand behind her back, her brain shorting out: How can you even see that from way over there?! You've got eagle eyes or what?!
And I swear my palm was facing away!
"A guild?" The torch girl frowned, the word throwing her.
"They're in cahoots with that Council jerk from before!" The caged kid gripped the bars, spilling fast: "Enemies! And the guy behind her—that's Simon! He's the traitor who turned on Lord Jellal!"
The word "traitor" hit like gasoline on a fire. The whole room ignited—eyes like poisoned darts stabbing straight at Lucy.
Her mouth twitched. "Sometimes—being too famous as a guild is a real pain—"
Before she could finish, magic circles in every color blazed to life all over the stands!
Fireballs, ice shards, earth spikes, vines—every attack under the sun rained down like hell!
Heat flared behind her, and Lucy dropped into a crouch, arms over her head on instinct.
Fire Dragon's Roar
A thick crimson fire pillar erupted from Natsu's mouth like a raging beast, swallowing every incoming spell whole. It didn't even slow, slamming into the upper-right wall!
BOOM!
Bricks flew everywhere, blasting a huge hole in the wall. Moonlight mixed with dust poured in, the air thick with burnt stench.
The whole chamber went dead silent. That one hit froze everyone in place.
Natsu scratched his head, looking baffled. "Huh? I was holding back too—these guys are fragile as hell."
He pulled a face like they stank. "All that and they couldn't even douse half my flames."
"==It's 'cause you're the monster, okay?!" Lucy popped up, yanking a golden key from her hip. A cocky smirk tugged at her lips.
"But hey, works for me!"
Her left hand wove a pale blue magic circle, summoning a soccer-ball-sized orb of water.
She slotted the key in and gave it a twist.
Open, Gate of the Water Bearer—Aquarius
"Ding-dong~"
A massive aquamarine circle spun open, unleashing a torrent that twisted into a raging whirlpool.
When it cleared, there she was: eyes shut, blue fishtail lower half, flowing aquamarine hair—a stunning woman hovering in front of Lucy.
Lucy jabbed a finger forward, all pumped. "Aquarius! Wash those enemies right outta here!"
The floating spirit cracked her eyes, blue irises blazing with fury.
She hefted her white urn and hurled it forward with a bellow that shook the room: "You little brat!! Didn't I tell you not to summon me today?!!"
Blue light exploded from the urn's mouth, and a monstrous wave roared out. The first thing it swept up? A slack-jawed Lucy.
"W-Wait! Hold o— AHHH!!!"
Lucy's scream got gulped by the crash of water. The surge turned into a violent waterspout, scooping up everyone in the arena—including her—and flinging them skyward in a chaotic spin cycle!
"Wh-What the—?!"
"I'm dizzy—gonna hurl!"
"My head—it's spinning off!!"
At the vortex's heart, Lucy felt the world flip upside down, like she'd been tossed in a washing machine on high. All she could see was churning water and blurry shapes; even breathing was a chore.
"Eeeeek—!! Don't drag me in too—!!!"
The "baptism" dragged on for a solid two minutes before dying down. Folks rained from the air like soggy dumplings, splashing back to the floor—dazed, sprawled, and out cold.
[Ding—Gained 32,000 Magic Power points]
[Gained spells: Water Prison, Thornwood Spikes, Earth Ripple]
[Gained dark magic, water sculpting magic, plant summoning magic, and enhancement magic]
Lucy wobbled up from the knee-deep water, woozy as hell, trying to steady herself. But her vision was still doing cartwheels, everything topsy-turvy.
"H-Haha, water magic's perfect for crowd control after all~"
"M-My magic power shot up so much—h-head's killing me though—"
She wasn't even fully with it when a white blur ballooned in her fuzzy sight.
WHAM!
"Ow!!" Lucy clutched her head where the urn's base had thonked a lump, tears pricking her eyes. She howled, pissed: "Aquarius! Why'd you hit me?!"
Next thing, her collar yanked tight, hoisting her right off the ground.
She blinked up into Aquarius's face—fuming like a volcano, hair whipping wild.
"You rotten twerp! Didn't I warn you I had a date with my boyfriend today? Huh?!!"
"A-Ah..." Lucy deflated on the spot, all her fire gone. She shrank up like a kitten grabbed by the scruff.
"Y-Yeah, but I thought it was tomorrow—September 17th—"
Happy's voice chimed in from above, dripping with glee: "Lucy~ Today's September 17th, though~"
"!!!"
Lucy's body went rigid, cold sweat beading down her back. She plastered on the smarmiest, ass-kissing smile she could muster.
"H-Haha—oh, whoops~ Turns out it is the 17th—"
She balled her left fist and bonked her own head lightly, sticking out her tongue and glancing away all cutesy, hoping to play it off.
"Guess I goofed the date~ Must be 'cause I've been so swamped late—"
Words cut off as a big hand clamped her skull, yanking her up like a ragdoll.
Aquarius's eyes flashed murder. "You think you're slick, huh? Brat!"
"I hate fake-cutesy girls like you!"
Her grip tightened. "Have I been too soft on you lately? Huh?!!"
"Talk straight, you idiot!!"
"Nyaah!" Feeling like her head might pop, Lucy snapped back to normal, squeezing her eyes shut and belting out an apology: "Sorry! I messed up bad! Won't happen again—I swear I won't summon you for a whole month! Forgive me, please!"
"Hmph!" Aquarius finally let go, looming over Lucy as she plopped back into the water.
"I'm off on a two-week vacay with my man. Summon me random again, and I'll end you."
"Nya~" Lucy whimpered weakly, watching Aquarius toss her hair and dissolve into golden light. Only then did she slump fully into the puddle, exhaling like she'd run a marathon.
"That was way too close—I swear it was tomorrow—"
"=_= Lucky she's in a rush, or I'd be goners."
Remembering that hair-trigger temper, she gingerly touched her throbbing noggin.
"←_← Better lay off summoning her for the next couple months—"
"Hope she forgets all about this by then."
Roger caught the scene and flicked his finger. The pooled water on the floor—and the soak on Lucy—came alive, swirling into a stream that shot straight out the wall hole like a drain.
The ground dried up crisp and comfy in seconds. Then a soft green whirlwind scooped everyone up, floating them gently down beside Lucy.