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In the magical projection, a hologram of Mirajane created through image magic appeared, smiling as she greeted the guild master:
"Master, it must be tiring attending the council meeting!"
Makarov pointed to Mirajane's image with a look of pride and turned to the other guild masters.
"See here, isn't she beautiful? This is the star of our guild, a true beauty!"
The other guild masters nodded in admiration; Mirajane's gentle elegance had indeed captivated them.
However, Mirajane's next words nearly made Makarov fall back into his chair.
"While you're away, something very exciting has happened at the guild. You wouldn't believe it—Erza, Natsu, and Gray have teamed up. I think they make the strongest team in Fairy Tail right now!"
Just moments ago, another guild master had been warning him that the council constantly worries Fairy Tail's mages might someday destroy an entire city. Makarov had been urged to remind his members to be cautious.
And now, that fear might be turning into reality. Erza, Natsu, and Gray on the same team? Those three could indeed take down a city if they wanted to.
Thankfully, Mirajane's next words were somewhat reassuring.
"George's restoration magic has improved a lot recently. He can now repair the entire guild hall in an instant, so I've sent him along with them. I thought you'd want to know, so I wrote this letter."
As her message concluded, the hologram faded, leaving Makarov silently praying.
"George, it's all in your hands now!"
One of the guild masters nearby looked at Makarov, curious.
"Master Makarov, Fairy Tail has a mage who specializes in restoration magic? I didn't know such magic even existed!"
Makarov straightened up proudly.
"At Fairy Tail, we have talent in every type of magic! George came to us by reputation alone. With him here, I won't have to listen to the council's complaints as much!"
"It might not be a simple restoration spell," speculated an older guild master with a grizzled beard. "It could be the long-lost Arc of Time magic."
The Arc of Time is a rare time-based magic, allowing objects to be returned to their past state or pushed forward in time. This spell can repair damaged buildings and objects, or even revert events, like turning back the hands of time. However, it doesn't work on living creatures, except for plants.
Three hours later, the train arrived at Onibas Station.
"Finite Incantatem!"
With a flick of his wand, George ended the levitation spell, letting Natsu down as the group disembarked.
"Erza, do you know where the Dark Iron Forest guild's headquarters is located?"
"No, ever since they were expelled from the guild alliance six years ago and labeled a dark guild, they moved from their original headquarters. It's uncertain if they're even still in Onibas," Erza replied, shaking her head.
Lucy and Happy sighed in unison:
"Then finding them is like looking for a needle in a haystack."
"No problem," Erza replied confidently. "As soon as we find one of their mages, we can beat them halfway to death and make them tell us the guild's location."
Her methods remained as straightforward as ever.
Gray rubbed his temples.
"Finding a few mages in a city isn't exactly easy, either."
"Erza, do you know the names of any Dark Iron Forest mages?"
George spoke up.
"I know some tracking magic. Just tell me a name, and I can use it to locate the person."
Not wanting to waste time wandering aimlessly, he offered to help speed up the search.
"George, you're brilliant!" Erza exclaimed, pulling him into a crushing hug.
"So hard!!"
George's head felt like it was colliding with steel.
He resolved to keep his distance from Erza while walking in the future. Her armor was just too tough; Mirajane's hugs were far more comfortable.
"I don't know the names of those specific Dark Iron Forest mages, but I do know they have a famous mage named Erigor."
Erza began her explanation:
"Erigor—the leader of Dark Iron Forest and their strongest ace mage. He's a fearsome figure with an unbroken record in assassination missions, earning him the nickname 'Death God Erigor.'"
"Having a name is enough," George said, pulling out his wand from his backpack to begin his spell.
"Erigor, reveal direction."
A golden arrow appeared before George, pointing toward a location outside the city, rather than somewhere within.
"George, you really know a lot of magic!" Lucy said, admiring the glowing arrow.
George smiled. "I don't have the strength to take down Vulcan Apes with a single finger like you supposedly do, so I just help where I can."
Lucy's face flushed immediately. "That's just a rumor! Really!"
George continued, "The arrow points outside the city—and it might even be farther than the outskirts of Onibas. I think we should rent a magic-powered vehicle to be safe."
Gray nodded, chiming in with his own thoughts. "If Dark Iron Forest is just outside the city, we could walk and find them in an hour or two. But if they've moved farther, it could take days to track them down. Plus, there's no guarantee Erigor will be at the guild, even if we do follow him."
"I agree," George said, nodding thoughtfully. Although Gray had a habit of shedding his clothes, at least he still had a good head on his shoulders compared to the straightforward Natsu and unpredictable Erza.
Natsu, however, quickly raised his hand in protest. "I disagree! I don't want to get in a car!"
His complaint was immediately silenced by Erza, who sent him sprawling with a single punch.
"Objection denied. I'll go rent a vehicle. Wait for me outside the station."
Before long, Erza returned, pulling up to the station in a small, green vehicle.
George looked at the green car with interest. "So this is a magic-powered car?"
In this magical world, almost everything was powered by magic, from weapons to vehicles. Cars were no exception, driven by magic rather than fuel or electricity. The vehicle itself wasn't complex—its rear seating area resembled a normal car, while the driver's seat was more like a carriage. The dashboard had a control lever, accelerator, and brake, as well as a bracelet that linked to the driver's magic input.
"Hurry up and get in. Whatever Erigor plans to do with the Curse Flute, it can't be good. We need to find him fast," Erza urged, motioning to everyone.
But George, after a moment's thought, shook his head.
"Erza, I think it'd be better if I drive the magic vehicle."
"You? No, that won't work. This car consumes a lot of magic power, and only I have enough to sustain it for the entire trip," Erza replied, waving her hand dismissively.
(End of Chapter)