"Damn you!"
The giant monster swiped a massive claw at Kael.
CRACK—!
Kael shattered the claw with a vicious swing of the iron rail.
"What?!" Lullaby froze in shock.
Kael stomped his foot hard on the ground.
BOOM—!!
The impact blasted all the surrounding rails into the air. Blurring into motion, Kael launched a flurry of kicks and punches, striking the floating rails and firing them like missiles at Lullaby.
CRACK! CRACK!!
Lullaby's body was riddled and torn apart by the high-speed steel barrage.
SHU—!
Kael's figure flickered into existence right in front of the monster's face.
"Sorry, I'm on a tight schedule. Playtime is over."
Kael gripped the rail with both hands and brought it down like a hammer on the monster's skull.
BOOM—!!
CRACK—!!
With a sickening crunch, the Lullaby monster's head—and its entire body—was split cleanly in two.
RUMBLE—!!
The giant body collapsed to the ground with the weight of a falling mountain.
Kageyama watched in horror. He finally understood the scale of the monster Eisenwald had provoked. How could a mere guild hope to defeat a calamity like him?
PING!
Kael canceled the transformation, returning to his original form.
"Ow, ow, ow!!"
A sharp wave of pain shot through his muscles. Even though his physique had improved drastically over the last six months thanks to Sun Breathing, the cost of power was still high.
Every time he used Take Over: Fushiguro Toji, he suffered severe muscle strain. He looked like a god of war while fighting, but he felt like a wreck the moment it stopped.
"Sigh! If I'd known, I would've finished this sooner!"
Regret always hit him after the adrenaline faded. If he had just ended the fight instantly, he wouldn't hurt this much.
It was the classic "Ranked Match Syndrome." It's like being up 20–0, sieging the enemy Nexus. Logic says "end the game," but ninety percent of players just want to spawn-camp and show off. Even on low health, they think, 'I can still outplay them.'
That was Kael's problem with the Fushiguro Toji form. The power was so intoxicating, he just couldn't resist putting on a show.
SCREEECH—!!
A magic four-wheeler drifted around the corner and slammed on the brakes.
"Kael! Are you okay?!" Erza rushed over, panic in her eyes.
Kael waved his hand dismissively. "Relax, I'm fine."
"Thank goodness!" Erza smiled, patting Kael's shoulder enthusiastically.
Kael sucked in a cold breath. "Hss! Ow, ow, ow!!"
"Pain? Are you hurt?"
"No, I just got carried away with the Take Over. Just some muscle strain. I'll be fine after a quick rest."
Thanks to the passive healing of Sun Breathing, minor damage like this would fade quickly.
Erza sighed in relief. "That's good!"
Lucy stepped out of the vehicle, her jaw dropping as she took in the scene. "Wh-what the hell happened here?!"
The train was scrap metal. The Eisenwald members were scattered like trash. The earth was torn up, and beside them lay a giant demon split in half.
"What is that thing?!" Lucy stared at the horrifying corpse, trembling.
"That? That's Lullaby."
"Lullaby?!!"
Erza and the others gasped. That monster was the Demon of Zeref?
Lucy looked at Kael with new eyes. Did he just solo an entire Dark Guild and a legendary demon?
Suddenly, the heavy sound of marching boots echoed from the distance.
"Quick! Surround the perimeter! Don't let anyone escape!"
They turned to see a battalion of Rune Knights and soldiers charging toward them.
Kael, who looked like an invincible demon lord a second ago, instantly panicked. "Oh no! The Army! Run!!"
He vaulted into the magic four-wheeler with practiced ease. Erza jumped into the driver's seat and slammed in the SE Plug.
"Eh?! We're running again?!" Lucy cried out.
She was starting to doubt the legitimacy of this "legal" guild. Why were they always fleeing from the law?
But she learned fast. Despite her complaints, she scrambled into the car. Innocent or not, she couldn't afford to get arrested—she hadn't even paid rent yet.
"Hold on tight!"
Erza floored the accelerator, whipping the car around in a U-turn and speeding off, leaving the soldiers choking on their dust.
Regional Guild Master League - Regular Meeting Hall
"Makarov, your guild wizards are certainly... lively. I heard they beat up a government official?"
Bob, the Guild Master of Blue Pegasus, spoke with a teasing, envious grin.
The meeting was halfway done, and the atmosphere had shifted from business to a rowdy party.
"Oho! That was our rookie, Lucy!! Her assets are top-tier—especially the bounce! Magnificent!!"
"You pervert," grumbled Goldmine, Master of Quatro Cerberus. "It's good to be spirited, but don't you think you're pushing it? The Council is terrified Fairy Tail might actually erase a city from the map one day."
"Let them worry! I'd rather be crushed to death by Lucy's chest!" Makarov was already drunk, dancing on the table without a care in the world.
Bob rested his cheek on his hand, looking coy. "My, my... hitting on your own guild members? Naughty."
Just then, a small bird fluttered in, carrying a letter. "Master Makarov, urgent mail from Miss Mirajane."
"Hm?"
Makarov opened it, and a hologram of Mira popped up, smiling brightly. "Master, working hard?"
"Look at that! Our poster girl! Isn't she an angel?!" Makarov boasted.
The surrounding old masters leaned in, leering slightly at Mira's beauty.
"While you were out, Master, something amazing happened. Erza and Kael teamed up again. Isn't that great? Apparently, Erza needed his help with a 'personal matter.' I'm not sure on the details, but I thought I should report it. That's all~"
The image vanished, leaving the room silent.