The northern part of the Kingdom of Fiore, Lingfeng, Zonia.
A desolate land of ice and snow stretched endlessly, where the wind howled relentlessly. Snow blanketed the earth and sky, leaving the entire world a monochromatic white. It was a place that knew no warmth, no respite, and no mercy.
Here, footprints vanished in seconds under the relentless snowfall, and visibility stretched no further than a hundred meters before being swallowed by the frozen mist.
At this moment, Natsu, Lucy, and Happy trudged through the knee-deep snow, shivering against the biting cold.
"A-Achoo!" Lucy let out an explosive sneeze, hugging herself tightly. "Why… Why did I follow you two idiots here again?! This is unbearable!"
Natsu, on the other hand, was entirely unfazed by the cold, though he had swapped his usual vest and shorts for winter gear. The only familiar sight was the dragon-scale scarf wrapped snugly around his neck.
"You're here because we're a team, Lucy!" Natsu said, grinning despite the frost.
"Aye, sir!" Happy chirped, fluttering nearby with his small green satchel slung on his back.
Lucy glared at them both, exasperated. "Teamwork, my foot! I'm freezing my butt off out here!"
"If you hadn't screwed up my modeling gig, I wouldn't be here trying to make money in this frozen wasteland!"
Happy tilted his head innocently. "But Lucy, we caught you a wild boar!"
"That boar ruined everything! How am I supposed to look glamorous when I'm being trampled on?!"
"But Lucy," Natsu said firmly, "this is what S-Rank missions are all about!" His eyes sparkled with excitement as he stomped through the snow. "Tough weather, dangerous terrain, epic monsters, and thrilling adventures! That's what makes it fun!"
"Aye, sir! Real wizards love challenges!"
Lucy could only groan and pull her coat tighter. "Real wizards? You two are crazy! I just wanted to make some money!"
The mission they had undertaken was deceptively simple: Repel the Monsters of the Snowstorm. But the location—Lingfeng, Zonia—was far from ordinary.
A place of myth and legend, Zonia was said to be where two celestial maidens had once fought a climactic battle. The Black Goddess and the White Goddess, wielding unimaginable power, had clashed over a man whose identity had been lost to time.
Their battle was so intense that it permanently reshaped the land, cursing it with eternal snowstorms and freezing winds.
"Spiritual Peak… Zonia…" Lucy muttered as she remembered the details. "Why do all legends have to involve two women fighting over a man?"
Natsu beamed. "Because it's awesome! Those goddesses sound super strong!"
"I just hope the 'monsters' aren't as scary as they sound…"
Meanwhile, back at the Fairy Tail Guild, chaos erupted as the news of Natsu, Lucy, and Happy's unauthorized mission spread like wildfire.
"Those idiots!" Gray muttered, clenching his fists. "Do they even know how dangerous Zonia is?"
"It's not just dangerous—it's legendary," Erza said, crossing her arms. "A place of eternal snowstorms and magic that distorts the land itself. They should never have gone there."
Levy, who was nearby, chimed in with sparkling eyes, "Ah! I've read about Zonia! The battle between the Black Goddess and the White Goddess! They fought over a man—how romantic!"
"Romantic?!" Gray shouted. "That's insane! They froze an entire mountain range over some guy!"
Elfman slammed his fist onto the table, his voice booming, "Those two goddesses were true MEN! And the guy they fought for? What a man!!!"
Rocky laughed suavely, leaning against the bar with a grin. "Heh, I bet he was handsome and charming, like me. A real ladies' man."
"Rocky, you're delusional," Gray shot back.
Kira, who had been observing quietly, finally spoke up. "What kind of man would inspire a fight between two goddesses? I'll tell you—someone like me!"
The guild turned to stare at him.
"Like you?!" Rocky scoffed. "Don't flatter yourself. A man like that has to be handsome, elegant, and romantic—like me!"
"You're kidding, right?" Kira replied with mock disdain. "A real man needs strength, intelligence, and fearlessness!"
"Wrong!" Elfman roared. "A man should rely on his fists and raw power!"
"Fists? That's caveman talk," Rocky said, shaking his head.
Mira, ever composed, joined the fray with a sweet smile. "No, no! A real man knows how to bake a perfect strawberry cake."
"WHAT?!" the entire guild shouted.
Erza slammed her hand onto the table. "Mira is absolutely right! A man who can make strawberry cake is a man worth respecting!"
"No way!!!"
The argument quickly devolved into an all-out brawl, with tables flipping, punches flying, and magic blasting holes in the ceiling.
Markov sighed heavily, watching the guild descend into madness once again.
"These kids… Do they ever stop?"
Amid the commotion, Kira raised his voice. "Fine! Let's settle this! I'll head to Zonia myself and find out what kind of man those goddesses were fighting over. Whoever matches their description wins!"
The guild fell silent for a moment, and then—
"Yeah! Let's make a bet!"
"I'm going too!"
"I bet the guy was a legendary warrior!"
"No, he was definitely a romantic poet!"
"I say he was a wizard! No, a chef! He made amazing cakes!"
Markov slammed his mug onto the bar. "Enough! You're all insane! This is not a game! Kira, you're not going anywhere!"
Kira turned to Markov, feigning innocence. "What was that, President? I didn't quite catch it."
Back in Zonia, Natsu punched through a snowdrift with fiery enthusiasm.
"Let's go! We're gonna find those monsters and show them what Fairy Tail is all about!"
"Aye, sir!" Happy cheered.
Lucy, trailing behind, shivered uncontrollably. "Why did I agree to this…?"
The trio continued onward, unaware of the challenges that awaited them deep within the frozen mountains.
And back at the guild, Kira grinned mischievously.
"Looks like it's time for a little adventure of my own…"
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