A massive explosion shook the train, forcing it to halt. Allen's group immediately rushed over to see what had happened. It was as they expected: the roof of one of the train's cars had been blown apart... smoke rising from the wreckage—and among the debris stood Natsu.
"That was dangerous!"
"Natsu, I told you this was a dumb idea…" said Happy, flying next to him.
"Shut up! Where is that bastard?!"
Natsu looked furious, his flaming fist clenched as he searched for someone. Allen was about to say something, but when he saw Erza wrapped in a dark aura, he chose to stay silent.
Without saying a word, Erza walked up to Natsu and punched him in the stomach. Natsu doubled over, losing the fiery aura he'd had just a moment ago.
"What the hell are you doing?!" Erza grabbed Natsu by the collar and hit him again. "Did you seriously destroy a passenger train?!"
"Erza, wait, it's not what you think!" Happy tried to defend Natsu but received a death glare and immediately flew over to hide behind Allen—just like Lucy was doing now.
"She's really that terrifying?" Lucy murmured as she watched Natsu get pummeled until his cheeks were puffed and one of his eyes turned purple.
"Erza…" Allen finally spoke, making Erza pause. She turned to see what Allen wanted. He motioned with his eyes for her to look to the right.
Outside the train, Gray was hiding. A part of him wanted to enjoy watching Natsu get beat up, but on the other hand, he didn't want to risk being next.
'Take that, Natsu. You made me rent a magic vehicle to chase those two monsters...' Gray smirked, enjoying the sweet melody of Natsu's cries of pain. 'Hm? Wait, I don't hear anything anymore—'
Next to Gray, a hand covered in armor punched through the train's metal wall and grabbed him.
"Ah!"
Gray tried to escape but was yanked into the train by Erza and promptly beaten like Natsu.
"Wait, Erza! Why are you hitting me too?! Ahhh!"
"Huh?! And you still ask?! Natsu can't ride in vehicles! If he's here, it means you brought him!"
Allen blinked, then walked over to a window and spotted a vehicle parked not far away. His eyes lit up, and without thinking, he walked straight toward it—by phasing through the train wall.
"You too?!" shouted Lucy.
Allen stopped for a moment. "No, no. That train car's ruined anyway, so there's no reason to be alarmed."
"I am alarmed! The door was just a few steps away!"
Allen glanced at the door and made a lazy face, as if even thinking about it was a chore.
"You…" Lucy trembled, unable to believe how lazy Allen had to be to make that decision.
"Alright, alright," Allen said as he turned around—only to phase through a different part of the wall, making a brand-new hole.
"Why?! Why didn't you just use the one you already made?!" Lucy was breathing heavily, feeling like Allen was mocking her.
"Well, there's actually deep reasoning behind my actions, Lucy…" Allen said with total seriousness as if there truly was a purpose. "You see, there's a situation that explains it. Imagine you're just a regular high school girl. This Lucy-chan is a good girl who takes the same route home every day after school… just like always."
"What are you talking about? And what's a 'high school girl'?"
Allen ignored Lucy and continued, "However, Lucy-chan started to feel a subtle gaze every time she passed a certain street. Over time, that gaze intensified. Innocent Lucy-chan began to feel scared. One day, she finally saw where it was coming from—it was a bookstore across the street. And there, inside, was a guy with the gaze of a wolf that made Lucy-chan freeze up…"
"..." Lucy squinted at Allen.
....
Gwen – Allen…
MJ – Definitely Allen.
Annie – I'd bet anything it's that bastard.
Eve – I'd eat a hat if it's not him.
Diana – It's way too obvious…
....
Allen, with overwhelming mental fortitude, ignored the suspicious looks and continued, "Now that Lucy-chan was aware of the young man staring at her like prey, she felt even more uncomfortable walking by. But her nature got the best of her, and she kept taking that route every day… until one day, it was different. Normally, Lucy-chan would stop at the corner and wait for 'Wolf-kun' to be busy with a customer. But this time… he wasn't there. Lucy-chan figured he probably went to the bathroom and started walking quickly. It was getting late, and that day, no one else was around. Lucy-chan felt even more afraid… and then she heard footsteps behind her…"
"..." Lucy's eyes widened. Happy was now completely into the story, terrified.
Allen smiled, then got serious again. "Lucy-chan tried to walk faster, but the footsteps behind her sped up too. The distance shrank. In a panic, Lucy-chan regretted always taking the same route—she regretted being so predictable and giving Wolf-Kun a chance to stalk her. She swore to herself that if she escaped, she'd never be predictable again. At that moment, she heard the horns of passing cars and realized she was almost at the main road—"
"..."
Lucy and Happy's eyes lit up. It felt like Lucy-chan might make it… but Allen crushed that hope instantly.
"But it was all an illusion. A wolf's paw grabbed Lucy-chan's wrist and yanked her into an alley. Cornered and terrified, Lucy-chan tried to scream, but she froze up. The young man before her hypnotized her—he had silver hair and silver eyes, and a face so attractive it made Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio look ugly. He had a pleasant voice and a wicked smile that made the innocent Lucy-chan shiver. For a moment, she even forgot about the danger she was in…"
"..." Lucy blushed and swallowed, anxiously waiting for the rest.
Allen cleared his throat and finished the story. "Lucy-chan knew her fate was sealed. She couldn't escape. Not that she tried all that hard. She was scared… though she didn't scream for help, but still, scared… right? Lucy-chan seemed to have resigned herself to her fate and closed her eyes in anticipation— I mean, in fear… Wolf-kun's face got closer, and his masculine scent overwhelmed her like poison, making her weaker… Lucy-chan tilted her head up, eyes closed, when she heard Wolf-kun's irrational request: 'Miss, would you be interested in a monthly subscription to Shonen Jump?' Lucy-chan opened her eyes in disbelief and said, 'Huh?'"
"Huh?!" Lucy felt like she'd just been slapped in the face.
"Ehhh?!" Happy fell to the ground when he heard the end.
The Chat erupted in anger at being trolled by Allen, there was cursing and swearing.
"Ha–" Even Allen wanted to laugh—but was suddenly grabbed by the collar by Erza.
"You bastard! What kind of ending is that?!" Erza looked both embarrassed and disappointed.
"Relax, it's just a story…" Allen tried to calm her down, but Lucy had already grabbed his shirt too.
"How dare you toy with a lady's heart, Wolf-kun?!"
"When did I ever say I was Wolf-kun?!" Allen realized things were spiraling out of control.
On the ground, Natsu and Gray, their faces swollen, snickered at Allen. They even fist-bumped.
...
A few minutes later, after Allen finally calmed Erza and Lucy, he stepped outside to take a look at the "Magic Four-Wheeler" Gray and Natsu had come in.
"They didn't think that name through at all…" Allen felt ripped off. Why hadn't anyone told him things like this existed?
The vehicle had a back section that looked like a normal car, but the rear wheels were wooden, like a wagon. The front was the opposite: it had rubber tires, but the driver's seat was literally just a chair with a hand lever as the steering wheel. It also had a bracelet connected to a hose meant to draw out magical power.
Erza approached. "Magic Four-Wheelers aren't as practical as you think. They burn through a ton of magic power. For a mage, going on a mission with reduced energy is practically suicide…"
Allen thought for a moment, and he couldn't deny the point—this kind of vehicle wasn't just dangerous for a mage, a regular person wouldn't even be able to move it over long distances. That's why horse-drawn carriages and trains were the most commonly used transport.
"Still, I think it's a really bad design... For starters, directly using someone's magical power is pretty stupid… I could design a container of magic as storage, and with a converter enchantment, I could make it work with Ethernano; it would be like a solar battery but a magic version..."
In the world of Harry Potter, enchantments on brooms and flying vehicles don't consume magic like fuel; generally, the wizard just uses their spells to control them.
"Hey, can you do that?" Erza's eyes widened.
Allen scratched the back of his neck. "I don't know. I'll have to try."
Despite what he said, Allen wasn't sure if an enchantment from another world would work in this one. Even though both worlds had magic, they operated on different systems. Plus, in this world, the magical particles were called Ethernano, so things might work in a completely different way.
"Well, it doesn't matter right now. We need to hurry—Kage-chan is probably already heading to Kunugi," Erza said, frowning.
The presence of Natsu and Gray had distracted them from chasing Kageyama, and by now, he was likely regrouping with his allies.
"Kageyama? I know that guy," Natsu said, his head bandaged like a mummy.
"What?!" Erza turned to Natsu. "Why didn't you say anything earlier?!"
"Because you were giving him a beating…" Allen mumbled.
According to Gray, Natsu had refused to let Allen go without fighting him—since Allen had defeated Erza, Natsu had decided Allen was now the next guy he had to surpass. However, Happy couldn't fly fast enough to catch a train, so Natsu forced Gray to bring him on a magic-powered vehicle.
"I thought they didn't get along," Lucy tilted her head, confused. "Why would Gray-san agree to that?"
"Nyahaha," Natsu laughed with tears in his eyes. "Because I know his embarrassing secret!"
"Shut up, Natsu!" Gray was about to attack him with his ice magic, but when he saw Erza's look, he backed down.
"What secret?" Allen asked, curious. He still thought Gray was a bit of a pervert, but after Erza explained his habit was subconscious, Allen decided to let it slide.
Gray shot him a dark look. He hated the fact that the person responsible for his public humiliation didn't even remember what he'd done.
"No time for nonsense—get on with the story," Erza demanded.
Gray complied and continued: when they reached the train, they were attacked by a guy with shadow magic. An angry Natsu fought the man who called himself Kageyama, which led to the earlier explosion.
"I see…" Erza said calmly. She then walked up to Natsu and punched him in the gut, then did the same to Gray. "Idiots. Because of you, we lost Kageyama's trail. This is bad—we have no idea how dangerous Lullaby could be."
"Now that you mention it," Natsu groaned from the floor, "That guy had a creepy flute with a skull on the end—three eyes."
"Ah!" Lucy gasped, sweat forming on her forehead.
"What is it, Lucy? Did you realize you gained weight?" Happy mocked.
"Shut up, cat!" Lucy glanced at Allen. "I'll have you know I take really good care of my figure... even if it doesn't look like it."
"Pfft," Happy snorted.
"You're seriously annoying, blue cat. You're no match for the amazing Tim or the cute Plue."
Speaking of Tim, Timcampy popped out of Allen's hoodie like a floating ball and flew toward Lucy, who caught him, all while Lucy looked at Happy with disdain.
"Lucy?" Allen interrupted to get the conversation back on track.
Lucy dropped Tim, who fell to the ground and bit her foot in revenge. After a moment, Lucy spoke again, seeing that Erza looked ready to give her the same punishment as Natsu and Gray. She recalled seeing that flute in one of the many history books she had read before leaving home.
Lullaby was originally an artifact meant to channel death magic—which, just like in Harry Potter, was a forbidden form of magic. However, the Dark Wizard Zeref had turned it into something even more dangerous. Legend said that simply hearing its melody was enough to steal your life. It was an artifact so powerful it could massacre tens of thousands of people at once.
....
Superman – How could something like that be left unguarded?!
Thor – In Asgard, items like the Casket of Ancient Winters are locked in vaults to keep them from falling into the wrong hands.
Athena – A death curse… such an artifact was created by a human?
Yoruichi – Zeref? That guy must've been incredibly dangerous when he was alive...
....
Allen frowned. "Does it only kill with the melody, or does the cursed sound itself have to reach the target?"
"I don't know…" Lucy replied, terrified.
Allen fell silent. There was no television in this world, but there were loudspeakers. If that thing could reach even part of a city…
'This is dangerous...'
> [Emergency Mission: No mercy in Erigor – Stop the flute from being played. This guy won't wait for wizards to interfere. He'll use it without hesitation!]
[Main Mission: Don't let anyone die… There's a 50% chance anyone on your team could be affected by the Death Melody, except Lucy, who is protected by the pendant—but only for a short time...]
[Hidden Mission: Zeref's Power – This mage created a demon… a sentient one. If it senses you as a threat, it'll awaken no matter where you are.]
Tsk... damn Lucifer.
Lucifer – Hey now, no need to be so rude. It's not like I hate you or anything. I just really don't like when someone's protected by a higher power. Where's the fun in that? That's why there's "no more plot armor." Of course, thanks to you, I could only cut it in half...
Allen wanted to curse Lucifer out, but he held back. At first, Allen had thought Lucifer increased the villains' intelligence. But after dealing with the perverted Gorilla "Vulcan", and the stupid Duke Everlue, he realized that might not be it—maybe Lucifer had tampered with fate. But then Allen noticed the mission system still guided him through world events. That left only one option.
– The third condition affects the plot armor –
Even if only by half, it meant villains would try to escape if they felt threatened. Worse, it meant that if a villain had even a small chance to kill Natsu, Gray, or even Erza—they would. In this case, if Erigor felt he couldn't win, he wouldn't hesitate to play the flute, even if it ruined his entire plan.
They all got in the vehicle Erza was driving to chase Kageyama. Allen thought about throwing Natsu ahead to arrive faster, but since he didn't know the situation at Kunugi Station, that could cause civilian casualties if he scared Erigor.
Allen couldn't afford to be careless. He didn't know Erigor's personality. Was he cold? Arrogant? Cowardly? Cunning? Insane? Bloodthirsty? Would he kill civilians just from seeing a comet in the sky?
The Chat wanted to tell Allen more about Erigor, but every time someone tried, the comment was deleted before showing up. For the first time, they all realized how hard it was not knowing what was happening—or what was about to happen.
'I'll have to wait; as soon as I get to see the flute, I'll make my move.…' Allen thought, sinking into his thoughts while Erza drove them.
---
(One hour later)
Kunugi Station wasn't a city—just a small stop before reaching Oshibana Town, with only a few buildings.
But something violent was happening there. The Eisenwald guild was forcing people off a train so they could take it over.
"Ah!"
A man with ash-gray hair slashed a train conductor with a scythe as he tried to defend the passengers.
"We're taking this train. Anyone who resists dies—simple as that."
"Erigor-san!" Kageyama emerged from a shadow on the ground. He looked exhausted like he'd burned through all his magic getting there fast. "I have the flute, and I broke the seal—but we have to hurry! Titania is closing in, and there's another dangerous guy with her!"
"What?" Erigor kicked Kageyama. "You mean you ran away like a rat from Fairy Tail's mages?! Why didn't you use the flute?!"
Erigor was furious, and Kageyama couldn't answer. The truth was—deep down, he was afraid of dying because whoever played the flute would die too.
Erigor pressed his scythe to Kageyama's throat. "Idiot. Dying to take out Titania would've been more than a worthy end for you."
"I'm sorry, Erigor-san! Please give me another chance!"
Erigor lowered his scythe. "Doesn't matter. This means we can still go through with the plan. Soon, all the guild masters will be dead, and we'll reshape this corrupt country! Nothing and no one will stop us…"
Erigor's eyes gleamed with a bloodthirsty light.
===
A/N: Poor Lucy frightened by a story that was at first horror, then thrilled by an unexpected development and finally slapped by reality 🗿🍷
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