Though Kira couldn't quite guess what was going through Rocky's mind, he could clearly sense the envy and admiration in his words.
"Huh?" Gray interrupted, catching onto the conversation. "I can't just let that slide. Do you want to see the power of Ice Make magic firsthand?"
Kira, ever the peacekeeper—or so he liked to think—immediately stepped in to defuse the brewing tension. "Calm down, Gray. Rocky's just being honest. He's a straightforward guy who likes to speak his mind. Don't take it personally."
But anyone watching could tell that Kira's tone was more teasing than conciliatory.
Gray frowned, his face darkening. "Wait a minute. Are you implying that Ice Make is weak, too?"
Kira smirked but avoided answering directly. Instead, he mused aloud, "Ice will always melt."
Gray scowled. "And what about your creations? Do they last forever?"
"Of course not," Kira replied, shaking his head. "You always clean up after using magical constructs. Keeping them around indefinitely would just drain your magic power unnecessarily. Hmm... I suppose that's one advantage of ice—it's disposable. But that also means you end up using more magic in the long run. In that sense, my Word Magic is definitely superior."
Left with no counterargument, Gray fell silent, though his expression made it clear he wasn't happy.
The group finally boarded the sailboat and began their journey to Karna Island.
Rocky, ever curious, eventually broke the silence. "You know," he said, "I've always wondered about your magic, Kira. It seems... unique."
At this, even Kana and Gray turned their attention to Kira. They'd always known that his Word Magic was a form of text-based magic, but it was unlike anything they'd seen before. It wasn't like Levy's 3D text magic, nor was it similar to the ritualistic magic used by Fried and the Thunder God Tribe. Kira's magic had the uncanny ability to create physical shapes using words—a concept that felt almost alien.
"I mean," Rocky continued, "isn't shaping magic weird enough? But shaping magic with words? That's just bizarre. Then again, I heard there's a type of magic called Memory Make in this world, so maybe nothing's too strange."
Gray nodded vigorously. "That's right! Shaping magic is the most versatile type of magic there is!" He recalled the words of his master, Uru, and spoke with confidence.
It was true. Gray, his master, and his senior brother Lyon all practiced Ice Make magic, but their styles varied significantly. Uru's creations emulated plants, representing life and growth; Lyon specialized in animals, symbols of movement and vitality; and Gray's focus was weapons, epitomizing stillness and solidity.
"Actually," Kira interjected, "shaping magic is just one aspect of Word Magic. If you think about it, my magic is closer to a type of concrete magic than pure shaping magic."
"Concrete magic?" Kana asked. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"It's an ancient and mysterious form of magic," Kira explained. "It's even classified as a lost magic."
Rocky perked up at the term. "Lost magic? Like Memory Make? I heard Memory Make lets you recreate anything from your memories, including magic. You can even combine spells. It's supposed to be one of the most powerful shaping magics!"
"My Ice Make is strong, too!" Gray interjected defensively.
Kira chuckled. "It's fine for what it is, but elemental shaping magic has its limitations. You're always going to be constrained by elemental weaknesses. If you encounter a wizard with opposing attributes, you're at a disadvantage. And if their magic power and physical abilities surpass yours, you'll be in real trouble."
"You just want to say your magic is stronger, don't you?" Kana quipped, narrowing her eyes.
"Ah, you're so perceptive, Kana! That's exactly what I'm saying."
Kana groaned. "You really deserve a punch for saying that out loud."
Kira ignored her, his voice taking on a hint of pride. "Think about it. How do you think I'm able to create so many functional magic items? Even with my unmatched talent for magic, it's not like I'm also some prodigy blacksmith. And even if I were, when would I have had time to learn forging while practicing magic?"
Kana rolled her eyes. "I've never even seen you practice magic before."
"That's because I don't need to," Kira replied smoothly. "Anyway, all my success is thanks to my magic."
Kana raised an eyebrow. "Wait, are you saying all those magic items are just creations of your Word Magic?"
"Of course not!" Kira exclaimed, gesturing toward the sailboat beneath them. "If that were the case, everything would disappear as soon as the magic dissipated."
"So what's the secret, then?" Rocky pressed.
Kira smirked. "You'll see. By the end of this mission, you'll understand."
Before long, the boat reached Karna Island's shores. Time had flown by during the trip, mostly thanks to the heated card games that had broken out on deck.
When the boat finally docked with a soft thud, Kira stood and stretched. Turning to the others, whose faces were covered in card-game forfeiture stickers, he announced, "Alright, the boat's docked. Time to stop fooling around and get to work."
Gray protested immediately. "Hey, don't try to weasel out of it! You lost fair and square! Put on your stickers like the rest of us!"
But Kira was already hopping off the boat, a self-righteous tone in his voice. "We're here on a mission. How can you think about playing games at a time like this?"
He landed on the shore with effortless grace, his movements smooth as silk.
The others grumbled as they scrambled to follow him.
"By the way," Kana said, brushing sand off her clothes, "what exactly is this mission about?"
"Yeah, I'm curious too," Rocky added.
Kira spun around, his expression incredulous. "You don't know? The mission is to lift a curse!"
Kana and Rocky exchanged sheepish looks, prompting a heavy sigh from Kira. "Unbelievable. You two followed me on an S-rank mission without even checking what it was? Classic Fairy Tail behavior."
"So, how do we lift the curse?" Gray asked. "Does your Word Magic have a spell for that?"
Kira shrugged. "Who knows? Anyway, the 'curse' is just what the villagers call it. As an S-rank wizard, I can't afford to take such claims at face value. We'll have to assess the situation when we get there."
Leading the way, Kira added confidently, "Just stick with me and watch how an S-rank wizard handles things."
Following the map's directions, the group made their way through the dense woods surrounding the island and arrived at the village.
Kira surveyed the scene, quickly understanding why Karna Island had been overlooked by the Council of Magic. The settlement looked like it was still stuck in the Stone Age.
Wooden stakes formed the village walls, which were topped with watchtowers barely three or four stories high. The guards carried rudimentary weapons crafted from sticks and stones. Everything about the place screamed "primitive."
Compared to the rest of Ishgar, where magic and technology were deeply intertwined and highly advanced, Karna Island was at least three centuries behind the times.
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