"That makes sense, I guess," Natsu mumbled, stroking his chin thoughtfully.
"Belief!" Finn declared, his voice resonating with conviction.
"Whether it's the belief in protecting one's comrades, the yearning for freedom, the thrill of exploring the unknown, or... the unwavering pursuit of one's dreams!"
Finn's voice was soft yet firm, his words carrying a weight of profound meaning.
Edolas Lucy was visibly taken aback by Finn's impassioned speech, her expression a mixture of surprise and contemplation.
"As for why we aren't afraid of death? You might be mistaken on that point. There isn't a single person in this world who isn't afraid of death; it's an innate human instinct," Finn explained, his tone softening slightly.
A gentle smile touched his lips. "I, too, am afraid of death. However, there are certain things in this world that are far more terrifying than death itself. For me, the prospect of existing in a desolate, lonely world devoid of my companions is far more dreadful than the mere cessation of life."
"And when faced with adversity, we must strive to overcome it through unwavering effort and determination. To simply resort to avoidance is to guarantee defeat," Finn stated resolutely.
Finn placed a reassuring hand on Edolas Lucy's shoulder. "That's my answer."
Turning his attention to the others, who were still visibly stunned by his words, he announced, "We need to get moving. We need to reach the royal capital as swiftly as possible!"
Nancy, having finally recovered from the impact of Finn's profound words, a subtle smile playing upon her lips, nimbly hopped onto Finn's shoulder.
It seemed she had also reached a profound understanding.
"Haha, Finn's become just like Gramps! His words are starting to make no sense at all," Natsu chuckled heartily, scratching the back of his head in amusement.
"I suspect it's because Natsu's intelligence is rather... limited, rendering him incapable of comprehending Finn's profound pronouncements," Happy interjected, raising his paw in a gesture of playful mockery.
"What?! You dare suggest that my intelligence is lacking, you little blue cat?! Prepare to face my wrath!" Natsu declared, his voice rising in indignation as he set off in pursuit of the mischievous Exceed.
"Waaaah, Lucy! Or rather, Earthland Lucy, please save me!" Happy cried out, his voice filled with mock terror as he fled from Natsu's wrath.
Edolas Lucy let out a long sigh, her gaze following the retreating figures of Finn and his companions. Shaking her head slowly, she murmured to herself, "It seems we've all been profoundly mistaken." Without another word, she set off at a brisk pace, determined to catch up with the group.
Edolas, Sycca Town.
Finn and his companions had arrived in Sycca Town the previous evening.
After a night of much-needed rest, they were now preparing to resume their journey towards the royal capital.
After all, they were now within relatively close proximity to their destination; a mere three days' walk separated them from the royal capital.
"Honestly, why did she return to the guild without so much as a word of explanation?" Lucy's voice echoed through the inn, her tone laced with a mixture of confusion and mild annoyance.
Edolas Lucy had unexpectedly returned to the guild earlier that morning.
She had left behind a hastily scribbled note, indicating that the royal capital lay three days' journey to the east.
"She probably has her own reasons for returning to the guild," Finn offered, his voice laced with a hint of understanding as he surmised the likely cause of Edolas Lucy's sudden departure. He chose not to elaborate further.
With a wave of his hand, he signaled to his companions, and they departed from the inn.
Meanwhile…
Laxus stared, utterly bewildered, at the two identical figures standing before him.
"Two Gajeels?" he questioned, his voice laced with a mixture of surprise and confusion.
"That's Edolas Gajeel," Earthland Gajeel clarified, his voice calm and reassuring.
"Nice to meet you, Laxus. I've already heard about you from my other self," Edolas Gajeel greeted, extending his hand in a gesture of amicable greeting.
Laxus responded in kind, shaking Edolas Gajeel's hand firmly.
Laxus turned his attention towards Earthland Gajeel. "By the way, weren't we supposed to be gathering information? What's the purpose of bringing him along?" he inquired, his voice laced with a hint of curiosity.
In response to Laxus's query, Earthland Gajeel threw an arm around Edolas Gajeel, his face breaking into a broad grin. "He's a reporter, you see. A specialist in gathering information."
"His network of informants extends throughout this entire kingdom, even reaching into the Exceed communities!" he added with a flourish.
"Oh, I see. So, what about the magic crystals?" Laxus stated, his interest piqued as he focused his attention on Edolas Gajeel, eager to obtain any information pertaining to the location of the magic crystals.
Edolas Gajeel produced a small notebook from his pocket and proceeded to read from it. "Based on the intelligence I've gathered, the kingdom is scheduled to conduct a ritual for the extraction of the magic crystals within the royal capital in two days' time."
"It seems highly probable that these crystals contain the magical essence of your captured comrades," he added, his voice laced with a hint of solemnity.
"What?!" Laxus's fists clenched tightly, his knuckles turning white as a surge of intense anger coursed through his veins.
A faint crackling sound emanated from his body, indicating the buildup of his powerful lightning magic.
Edolas Gajeel's eyes widened slightly at the sudden display of raw power, his heart pounding in his chest.
"Those bastards…" he muttered through gritted teeth, his voice laced with a mixture of fury and determination.
"Do you know where the magic crystals are being held?" Laxus inquired, his voice sharp and demanding.
Edolas Gajeel, jolted back to reality by Laxus's urgent question, responded promptly.
"This… this is the magic of Earthland?" he exclaimed, his voice laced with a mixture of awe and disbelief.
"It's truly astonishing!" he added, his voice filled with wonder.
He then continued, "According to the information I've gathered, the magic crystals are currently being held in the central plaza of the royal capital, under the watchful eyes of the kingdom's forces."
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's head straight to the royal capital and use Dragon Slayer magic to restore everyone!" Earthland Gajeel urged, his voice laced with impatience.
Edolas Gajeel adjusted his glasses, his expression thoughtful. "While my other self is correct in his assessment, I believe it would be prudent to exercise some caution and restraint before taking any rash actions."
Laxus frowned deeply, his patience wearing thin. Under the current circumstances, how could he possibly remain calm? His grandfather, along with his fellow guild members, were on the brink of facing a life-or-death crisis.
Edolas Gajeel sighed, his voice laced with a hint of regret. "The magic crystals currently stored in the royal capital's plaza have been meticulously dissected and fragmented. In other words, they do not contain the complete magical essence of all the captured individuals."
"As for the whereabouts of the remaining magic crystals, the kingdom has managed to conceal them exceptionally well, and their precise locations remain unknown at this time," he explained.
"In that case, let's proceed to the royal capital first, and during the interim, we'll make every effort to ascertain the precise locations of the magic crystals containing the magical essence of our captured guild members," Laxus declared, his voice resolute after a moment of deep contemplation.
"If we're still unable to locate the remaining magic crystals by the time the extraction ritual commences in two days' time, then we'll have no choice but to focus our efforts on restoring those crystals currently held in the central plaza," he added.
Both Gajeels nodded in agreement.
…
"By the way, what kind of book did you actually buy?" Natsu inquired, his gaze fixed on the book Lucy was holding.
"It's a history book of this world, of course!" Lucy replied, her face beaming with delight as she proudly displayed the book.
"After all, you all expressed a desire to learn more about this world, didn't you? This book will provide us with all the answers we seek!"
Finn scratched his head, his expression a mixture of amusement and mild skepticism. "We're doing alright without it…" he murmured.
Undeterred by Finn's lukewarm response, Lucy continued to excitedly flip through the pages of the book. "For instance, this passage here mentions something about the Exceed race!"
Upon hearing the mention of the Exceed race, Finn turned his head to look at Nancy, who was perched upon his shoulder.
"If you're interested in learning more about the Exceed race, I believe I'm quite capable of providing you with a comprehensive explanation," Nancy offered, her voice laced with confidence.
"Huh?! But Nancy grew up in the forest, didn't she?" Lucy questioned, her voice laced with a hint of surprise and confusion.
After all, Lucy and the others were well aware of Nancy's past.
Nancy responded with a gentle smile. "While it's true that I've been raised in the forest due to my status as a Fallen Angel, and consequently, I've had limited contact with other Exceeds, I was fortunate enough to acquire a considerable amount of knowledge about the Exceed race from my parents," she explained.
"I see," Lucy responded, her expression clearing as she nodded in understanding.
"Aye, what's that?" Happy suddenly exclaimed, his paw pointing towards the sky.
The group followed the direction of Happy's pointing paw.
"That's… an airship?"
High above them, a colossal magical airship was slowly descending, its landing imminent.
"The Royal Army is approaching!" Finn announced, his voice sharp and urgent as he signaled for everyone to take cover in a nearby alleyway.
Pairs of soldiers marched past their hiding place, their conversations inadvertently providing Finn and his companions with crucial information regarding the magic crystals.
"The giant magic crystal they mentioned…?" Natsu inquired, his voice laced with a mixture of concern and apprehension.
"It must contain the magical essence of everyone from Magnolia," Wendy whispered, her head peeking cautiously from behind the wall as she listened intently to the soldiers' hushed conversations.
Lucy's face was etched with worry. "The extraction of the magic crystals is scheduled to commence in just two days' time. If we attempt to reach the capital on foot, we'll never make it in time."
"Once the process of magical energy extraction begins, there's no way to restore them to their original state," Carla added, her voice laced with urgency.
"Finn, perhaps I could simply carry you to the capital using my flight abilities?" Nancy suggested, her voice brimming with confidence.
Finn shook his head, his expression thoughtful. "Perhaps we have other options available to us."
Upon hearing Finn's words, the others exchanged puzzled glances, their eyes fixated on Finn, awaiting his explanation.
Finn extended a finger, pointing towards the magical airship that had landed in the town square.
"Let's seize that thing!" he declared, his voice ringing with audacious confidence.
"Seize it? You mean steal that airship?" Wendy exclaimed, her voice laced with disbelief.
"Would any sane person even consider attempting to steal something like that?" Carla added, her tone equally incredulous.
"All we need to do is sneak on board," Finn countered, his voice calm and unwavering.
"But sneaking around isn't exactly Fairy Tail's style, is it?" Finn declared, rising to his feet, his expression resolute.
"Haha, Finn's right! Sneaking around is definitely not Fairy Tail's style!" Natsu exclaimed, his face breaking into a broad grin as he produced his newly acquired magical tool.
He was ready to join Finn in their audacious attempt to commandeer the magical airship.
"Wait a minute! Aren't you supposed to be unable to use magic in this world?" Carla exclaimed, her voice laced with a mixture of surprise and concern.
Natsu turned to face Carla, his face beaming with a confident smile. "Don't you worry about that, Carla! I've already mastered the use of this magical artifact!" he declared, proudly displaying his magical weapon.
"Wait for me! There's no way I, the current second strongest member of Fairy Tail, could possibly miss out on an adventure of this magnitude!" Lucy exclaimed, her voice brimming with excitement as she dashed towards Finn and Natsu.
"Sigh… these guys…" Carla let out a long, weary sigh, her face etched with a mixture of exasperation and amusement.
"Aye, that's Fairy Tail for ya!" Happy declared proudly, his arms akimbo, his voice filled with unrestrained admiration.
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