On the flying carpet, Natsu was at his happiest. Jumping up and down in the center of the carpet, his cheerful smile radiated. "Happy, look! I'm in good spirits!"
The blue cat nodded enthusiastically. "Aye, sir! This is amazing! Natsu isn't dizzy!"
Lucy turned to Natsu in surprise. She vividly remembered how prone this guy was to transportation sickness.
"Wait, isn't this technically transportation?"
"Of course it is," Kira explained with a smile. "But the blanket is enchanted with balance magic. Most of the vehicles I design have it. It ensures that the user won't get carsick, seasick, or even 'flying blanket sick.' That's why Natsu can be so energetic."
He added, half-jokingly, "This blanket is very expensive. If Natsu pukes on it, we wouldn't be able to pay for it even if we sold Happy."
"I'm not selling Happy!" Natsu and Happy protested in unison.
"Balance magic?" Lucy asked, her brow furrowing in confusion.
Kira nodded and elaborated. "The word magic I use is versatile. One of its applications allows me to adjust the properties of objects through their inherent meanings. By altering the balance of the flying carpet, for example, Natsu's motion sickness is neutralized."
Although Lucy didn't fully grasp the technicalities, she was clearly impressed. "It sounds amazing!"
Kira chuckled. "It is! Speaking of amazing, let me introduce everyone's magic so you're familiar before the mission. You already know Natsu's Fire Dragon Slayer Magic—it lets him consume fire to restore strength and makes him immune to burns. Erza's Knight Magic allows her to re-equip various armors and weapons during combat. Gray uses Ice-Make Magic to create objects and weapons out of ice."
Lucy nodded, intrigued, as Kira continued, "Gray, why don't you show her?"
Gray sighed, muttering, "What a pain..." But whether to demonstrate or show off, he clasped his hands together. "Ice-Make!"
With a flash of blue light, a tall ice wall materialized on the carpet, shielding them from the high-altitude wind.
The air grew noticeably calmer, though the chilly atmosphere now made everyone shiver slightly.
Lucy glanced between Natsu and Gray with a realization dawning on her. "Oh, so that's why you two don't get along?"
Gray scoffed. "Who cares what you think..."
Natsu interjected with a smirk, "I'm way stronger than him, that's why!"
Kira laughed. "They fight all the time, but deep down, they're great friends."
"Who's friends with him?!" Natsu and Gray shouted in unison, glaring at each other.
Lucy blinked, amused by the synchronized denial.
"See? Perfect teamwork!" Kira teased, which caused the two to turn away awkwardly, eliciting a small giggle from Lucy.
Erza smiled gently. "It's good to see everyone getting along so well."
Kira shot Erza a curious glance. Is it possible she enjoys watching them squirm under her authority? Could Erza secretly be more cunning than she lets on?
He shook the thought away quickly.
"Ahem," Kira began, clapping his hands for attention. "Let's go over the strategy for our mission."
"Strategy?" Lucy asked curiously.
"Yes," Happy explained. "Kira always plans ahead. He likes to assign opponents before battles start to make everything more efficient."
Lucy tilted her head. "Assign opponents? That sounds organized."
Before Happy could respond, Natsu cracked his knuckles. "I don't care about assignments! Just leave them all to me!"
Gray smirked. "Let me take care of the strongest one, and Natsu can handle the small fry."
"Who are you calling small fry?!"
As the two began arguing, Lucy sighed and muttered, "This doesn't sound like a strategy..."
Kira, realizing Erza wasn't stepping in, took it upon himself to restore order. "Hey! Pay attention to safety!"
Of course, neither Natsu nor Gray paid him any mind.
Finally, Erza's calm voice rang out, "That's enough. Sit down and listen carefully."
Both boys immediately obeyed, sitting cross-legged and glaring at each other in silence.
Kira nodded. "The Iron Forest isn't very strong, but they have numbers. Natsu, Gray, and Lucy, you'll handle their members and a few cadres. Erza will focus on Eligore, their leader. His magic is wind-based."
Natsu and Gray immediately protested, "I want to fight Eligore!"
"Nope," Kira said firmly.
"What about you?" Lucy asked.
"I'll handle oversight and unexpected situations. If Larabai gets loose, I'll step in."
Lucy raised an eyebrow, sensing his real motive.
Natsu suddenly pointed at Erza. "I'll agree to this, but after the mission, you have to fight me, Erza!"
"What?!" Lucy exclaimed, while Gray shook his head in disbelief.
Erza's piercing gaze met Natsu's fiery determination. After a moment, she nodded. "Fine. When this is over, I'll fight you seriously."
"It's a promise!" Natsu cheered, igniting his fists in excitement.
"Put out the fire!" Lucy yelled, punching him in the head.
Kira sighed, smiling. "Don't worry. The carpet's fireproof..." His expression changed as he noticed something. "But water isn't great."
Everyone turned to see the melting ice from Gray's earlier spell pooling on the carpet.
"You two idiots!" Kira roared, his yell scattering birds in the distance.
The flying carpet reached Guilian City swiftly, gliding gracefully over the less-crowded streets.
"Where do we start investigating?" Lucy asked as they walked through the town.
Kira suggested, "Let's start at the bar where Erza saw them."
Erza nodded. "Gray and I will head there. The rest of you split up and gather information."
Before Lucy could object, Kira added with a sly grin, "Natsu and Happy will go with Lucy. I'll search on my own. Good luck!"
He darted off before anyone could argue.
As Kira strolled through the town, he spotted something interesting on the ground: a small white card with golden letters. His eyes widened in recognition.
50% off all street food?!
Humming happily, Kira picked up the card, tucked it into his robe, and made a beeline for the food stalls.
Two hours later, he rejoined the group at the meeting point, patting his satisfied stomach.
"Did you find anything?" Erza asked.
Kira shook his head solemnly, masking his earlier indulgence. "No luck. How about you?"
Erza replied, "We learned that several wizards are gathering at Kunuki Station."
Kira's expression turned serious. "Kunuki is the last stop before Clover, where the guild masters are meeting."
"Exactly," Erza confirmed. "If we hurry, we can intercept them before they reach Clover."
Natsu bolted toward Kunuki without waiting.
"That idiot!" Gray yelled.
"Let him go," Kira said, pulling out a wooden flute from his robe.
Erza froze. "You just said... what does the enemy have?"
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