"Hey, Erza, this horn... isn't it the material you brought back for me this time?"
Kira walked up to the massive monster horn Erza had placed on the guild floor. He inspected it carefully, touching, knocking, and judging its quality based on his extensive experience in identifying and forging magical props. His verdict?
The horn was purely ornamental.
It was large, sure, but utterly useless for crafting potions or forging magical equipment. Kira gave Erza a look that screamed, You call this intact material? You're trying to fool me, aren't you?
Erza, ever calm and composed, clarified, "Ah... no. I didn't find anything suitable for crafting this time. This horn was a trophy from my monster hunt. The locals used it as decoration, and I thought it looked beautiful, so I brought it back as a souvenir."
After explaining, she glanced at Kira. "Will it be troublesome?"
"No, no, no... no trouble at all!"
"A monster horn… and such a massive one at that..."
"How amazing..."
The extras around the guild murmured in admiration.
Hah, Kira thought to himself, you see one big horn, and you're floored? The less you know, the more easily impressed you are.
Still, was this horn truly "beautiful"? Kira couldn't help but question Erza's aesthetic sense.
But, in fairness, many of the Fairy Tail women had their quirks. Lucy, for instance, had peculiar tendencies that couldn't be explained; Erza's emotional priorities often seemed out of sync; Juvia was disturbingly obsessed with Gray; and Levy... might have Stockholm syndrome?
Yet, Kira understood the true culprit behind this strangeness wasn't the women themselves but the series' creator. After all, everyone knew Mashima wasn't exactly the most realistic when writing characters.
"In fact," Erza began, "I heard some troubling news during this trip. I wanted to discuss it with the master before taking any action, but he's away at the regular meeting. However, I believe this matter needs to be addressed immediately. Since Kira is here, along with Natsu and Gray, I'll need your help."
Her tone left no room for argument, but her statement stunned the entire guild.
Erza rarely worked with others, and when she did, it was only in extreme situations.
"What happened?"
"This is the first time I've seen Erza ask for assistance..."
"What's going on?"
Erza ignored the murmurs. Instead, she issued her command: "We'll leave tomorrow. Prepare yourselves tonight. I'll explain the details on the way."
Her firm attitude brooked no refusal.
"Erza... Kira... Natsu... Gray... This lineup..."
"Could this be the strongest team in Fairy Tail history?"
The guild buzzed with speculation about the formidable team Erza was assembling.
Gray, however, was less than thrilled. "No way! It's bad enough being stuck with Natsu, but now I have to work with Erza too?"
Natsu was equally unenthused. He darted over to Lucy, draping his scarf over her shoulders. "From now on, you're Natsu. Have fun!"
Lucy gave him a flat look. "That's not how this works."
Elsewhere, in a dark forest, the remnants of the dark magic guild Iron Forest, now a subordinate of the Six Demon Generals, were scheming.
"That armored woman... which guild is she from?"
"No idea."
"What a beauty... Damn, I should've talked to her."
"You? As if."
"Why not?"
The men who had encountered Erza in the Guilian Castle tavern chatted idly. Despite their sinister intentions, they were still struck by her presence.
"Is Kageyama back yet?" a man wielding a massive sickle asked, his face obscured by bangs.
"Not yet. Removing the seal isn't easy."
"We can't afford delays. The old men are at their regular meeting—this is our chance!"
Back at the Fairy Tail guild, Kira sat at the bar, sipping juice. Unlike Natsu and Gray, who were vocal about their reluctance, he calmly addressed Erza.
"I just got back from a mission. Can you give me the full story before I decide?"
Erza nodded. She understood Kira couldn't be coerced. "Alright," she said, and began recounting what she overheard in Guilian Castle.
Ten minutes later, Gray summarized, "So, it's just a group trying to unseal some magic? That doesn't sound like a big deal."
Erza's expression darkened. "I didn't think much of it either—until I remembered the name Eligore."
Mira, who was well-versed in the magic world, frowned. "Eligore... I've heard of him. Isn't he..."
"Eligore," Erza confirmed. "The trump card of the dark guild Iron Forest. Known as the God of Death."
Kira scoffed. "The God of Death? What a big mouth."
"Eligore earned that title because he exclusively undertakes assassination missions," Erza explained. "The Magic Council banned such missions, but Iron Forest prioritized money above all else. Eventually, the guild was exiled six years ago."
Kira pinched the bridge of his nose. "Assassinations for money... I get liking a good paycheck, but turning magic into a tool for murder? Why not join a mercenary guild instead? What's wrong with these people?"
Lucy raised her hand timidly. "Wait... Isn't breaking Magic Association rules a big deal? Why were they just exiled?"
Erza explained, "Their leader was arrested, and the guild was officially disbanded. However, most dark guilds ignore disbandment orders and continue operating in the shadows. Iron Forest did the same and eventually became a subordinate guild to the Six Demon Generals."
Gray began piecing it together. "So that's why you asked for help. If it's just those guys, you could handle them alone. But if it's the whole guild..."
Kira, however, had already pieced together the situation. This was the same Iron Forest arc from the original series, complete with wind-wielding Eligore and the cursed flute, Lullaby.
"Gray, you're overthinking this," Kira said with a smirk. "Even if it's the entire Iron Forest guild, Erza could take them down solo."
Gray and Natsu stared at him in disbelief. "Then why are you coming?"
Kira laughed, his eyes gleaming with mischief. "Because it's more fun with company, of course."
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