Undead beings were always troublesome opponents, but undead Celestial Spirits were worse.
Each had once been a powerful constellation spirit in their own right.
And if even one of them possessed strength close to the Celestial Spirit King's, the situation was dire indeed.
No one truly understood the King's full power.
They had seen him before, yes, but even then, his magic had felt bottomless, immeasurable.
Erza's brow furrowed. "If they've become like that… can we still call them Celestial Spirits?"
Loke sighed. "Strictly speaking, no. When their constellations were erased from the heavens, their status as Celestial Spirits vanished with them."
His voice held quiet bitterness.
'If I had once been one of those violent, prideful spirits', he thought, 'I might have ended up among them too.'
Mira wrapped an arm protectively around Lucy's shoulders.
"Then their goal must really be to wipe out every Celestial Spirit Mage, right?"
Erza nodded, her eyes sharp. "If that's what they're after, they'll have to go through us first. Anyone who lays a hand on Lucy, won't be forgiven."
Natsu raised a fist, fire blazing in his eyes. "Yeah! We'll just knock them all flying!"
"Aye!" Happy added enthusiastically.
Lucy's chest warmed at her friends' words. "Thank you… everyone."
Her gratitude lasted all of five seconds before Natsu spoke up again.
"We woke up when Loke said he loved you," he said with absolute sincerity.
Lucy froze, her expression collapsing. "Don't say weird things like that out loud!"
"But you're the one who asked what woke us up," Natsu protested innocently.
Before Lucy could explode, Rhodes cleared his throat, steering the discussion back on track.
"Let's focus. Loke, how does the Star Spirit King intend to handle this situation?"
Loke's expression turned grave.
"By the King's decree, matters among Celestial Spirits must be settled within the Celestial Spirit Realm.
If they have grievances, they can bring them before him, or if they refuse to talk, then they can fight it out there.
"The problem," he continued, "is that the Abandoned Spirits never show themselves. They won't negotiate, and they won't appear to battle us head-on.
"It seems their plan in the Human World matters more to them than overthrowing the current Star Spirit Realm."
That truth clearly troubled him. Loke had grown used to the Fairy Tail way of life, direct, fiery, and straightforward.
Sneaking around in the shadows was a style he despised.
Rhodes nodded thoughtfully. "I can understand their approach. If their goal is freedom, or even immortality, it's far easier to assassinate Spirit Mages than to start another war in the Spirit Realm.
"If they've found a way to cut the bond between our worlds, there's no need for them to fight openly at all."
He folded his arms. "Can't you track them somehow?"
Loke shook his head. "In the Spirit Realm, yes, we can sense their Auras easily. But in the Human World, that sense grows faint. At best, we can feel their presence if they're in the same city."
He sighed. "The Human World simply isn't our territory."
Lucy nodded grimly. "Then we'll just have to find them ourselves. They'll keep targeting Celestial Spirit Mages anyway, if we move before they do, maybe we can corner them."
Rhodes frowned slightly. "There's an old saying where I come from, 'You can be a thief every day, but you can't guard against one every day.'"
He hesitated. "Not sure if it translates here, but you get the idea. We can't protect every Mage at all times. One slip could be disastrous."
Loke raised a hand. "No need to worry about that, for now, at least. The Star Spirit King has granted all twelve Zodiac Spirits a special authority called Breaking Through.
"For a while, if Lucy or Miss Yukino are ever in real danger, we can appear instantly by their side, without even being summoned.Of course," he added with a grin, "you'll still have to provide the magic energy to keep us there during battle."
Everyone gave him a long look.
"Do you really need the King's special permission for that?" Erza asked skeptically.
Loke scratched the back of his head. "Haha… well, before this, I kind of popped out on my own now and then. Let's just say I got scolded a few times. This time, it's official!"
He straightened up, his tone turning serious again. "Besides that, we've also prepared contingency plans. Whatever happens, we'll protect you, no matter what."
"That bearded old man really is reliable," Lucy said with a relieved smile.
Then a thought struck her, and she asked, "But what about the other Celestial Spirit Mages? The ones without Zodiac Keys?"
Loke nodded seriously. "The King's thought of that too. He's temporarily allowed something called Substitution among Celestial Spirits."
"Substitution?" Lucy tilted her head.
"It means," Loke explained, "that when a Mage summons one Celestial Spirit, another, stronger Spirit can take that Spirit's place on the battlefield if needed."
At that, his voice softened. This permission brushed against a memory he would rather have forgotten.
Years ago, he had replaced Aries to stand against her former contractor, Karen.
Strictly speaking, that had been a violation.
But now, for the sake of protecting all Celestial Spirit Mages, the Star Spirit King had legalized it, at least temporarily.
"In addition," Loke continued, "the King is considering granting extra power to Horologium to create more individual spirits under that constellation so they can provide emergency support across wider areas."
He spread his hands. "It's not as strong a safeguard as what you and Yukino have, but it's the best the Star Spirit Realm can do right now."
That protection only applied to encounters with those Abandoned or rather Rebellious Celestial Spirits.
Still, as long as Mages didn't take reckless risks, their safety was mostly assured.
Lucy exhaled in relief. "That makes me feel a lot better."
Loke smiled faintly. "Next, we'll start tracing their movements. But if any of you run into them…"
He trailed off, uneasy. The truth was, the Star Spirit Realm couldn't resolve this alone. It would need the guild's help.
Erza's gauntleted hand slammed into his back with a clang!
"Don't talk like that! You're part of Fairy Tail too!"
"C-cough!"
Loke was touched but also very nearly coughed up blood from the impact. He forced a pained grin.
Mira blinked, then followed suit, delivering a friendly slap on his shoulder. "She's right. Helping our friends is only natural."
"Ahh! My bones, my bones are breaking!" Loke yelped, clutching his arm.
Then Natsu laughed and smacked him between the shoulder blades.
"Ahaha! You sound way too formal, man!"
That blow sent him sprawling flat on the floor. "Natsu, you idiot!"
Rhodes crouched beside him, smiling as he ruffled the lion's mane of orange hair.
"If it were Leo the Celestial Spirit asking for help, we'd do it for Lucy's sake.
But since it's our friend Loke asking…"
He cracked his knuckles, "then of course there's nothing more to say. Come on, stand up. I should give you a pat too."
"I refuse!" Loke said immediately, still lying on the floor.
Lucy couldn't help but laugh. She knelt down and extended her hand.
"A friend's troubles are everyone's troubles. That's what Master always says. So don't worry. We'll face this together."
"Lucy…" Loke took her hand, standing with a soft smile. His gaze lingered a moment too long.
Then, with his usual mischief, he grinned and gave her a thumbs-up.
"Simple white but stylishly sexy!"
"Huh?" Lucy froze for a second, then realized the angle at which she'd been squatting.
Her face turned bright red. "That's disgusting! You should just go die!"
Her kick sliced through the air, but before it landed, Loke's body dissolved into golden starlight, scattering like glitter through the guild hall.
His voice lingered faintly in the air:
"I'll send the list later! Remember to remind the other Celestial Spirit Mages to stay safe!"