Finn set off alone to investigate the area surrounding the kingdom, hoping to locate the remaining magic crystals.
Natsu and the others had initially intended to accompany him, but Finn dissuaded them, citing their current inability to utilize magic.
After all, a magic-less Natsu would be highly unlikely to prevail against a contingent of fully armed Royal Army soldiers.
Natsu watched Finn enter the room and addressed him directly. "So, how did it go? Did you manage to locate them?"
Finn shook his head in response. "I've thoroughly scoured the vicinity of the royal capital, but I haven't been able to uncover any trace of the other magic crystals."
Upon hearing this news, Natsu's brow furrowed in frustration, and he began to idly scratch his head.
"Then, what course of action should we pursue?" Wendy inquired, her voice laced with concern.
Finn let out a weary sigh. "At this juncture, we're left with only two viable options: either we locate the remaining magic crystals, or we find a way to restore Natsu and Wendy's magical abilities."
"Without our Dragon Slayer magic, we won't be able to restore our comrades who have been transformed into magic crystals," he explained.
"But how are we supposed to accomplish that?" Wendy asked, her voice tinged with uncertainty.
"The only individual capable of restoring Natsu and Wendy's magical abilities is Mystogan," Finn stated.
"Or, we could try to locate other Dragon Slayers!" he added.
"You mean… Gajeel?" Lucy interjected, her voice laced with a hint of hope as she recalled the existence of another Dragon Slayer within the ranks of Fairy Tail.
Finn nodded in agreement. "That guy's a Dragon Slayer as well. Anima wouldn't be able to absorb him."
Finn turned his gaze towards the window, his expression thoughtful. "And it's not necessarily limited to just him, you know."
"You mean there are other Dragon Slayers out there?" Natsu questioned, his brow furrowed in confusion.
"Let's not dwell on that for now. If they've actually arrived, you'll find out soon enough," Finn responded dismissively, waving his hand.
"But how can you possibly know whether the individuals you're referring to have actually made their way to the royal capital?" Nancy inquired, her voice laced with skepticism.
Finn responded with a confident smile. "All we need to do is create a bit of a commotion. Those individuals will inevitably reveal themselves."
Upon hearing Finn's words, Nancy paused for a moment, her expression a mixture of surprise and contemplation.
"But this is the royal capital, you know. This is where Edolas's most elite forces are concentrated," she pointed out.
"It doesn't matter. Conflict with the Royal Army is inevitable. My greatest fear, however, is that Edolas's king, driven by panic, might resort to destroying the remaining magic crystals in a desperate attempt to prevent their recovery," Finn stated, his voice laced with concern.
"If…" Lucy suddenly stood up, her eyes gleaming with a sudden inspiration.
"If we could somehow manage to get close to the king," she began, her voice filled with excitement, "we might be able to obtain information regarding the whereabouts of the remaining magic crystals."
"But there's no guarantee that the king would be willing to divulge such sensitive information," Wendy interjected, her voice laced with a hint of doubt.
"We can use Gemini! Gemini possesses the ability to transform into anyone the mage has previously encountered, and during the transformation, Gemini can access and perceive the thoughts of that individual!" Lucy exclaimed, her voice brimming with excitement as a solution to their predicament suddenly dawned upon her.
"In other words, if we manage to transform Gemini into the king, we'll be able to ascertain the location of our comrades who have been transformed into magic crystals!" she added triumphantly.
"That's a brilliant idea!" Natsu exclaimed, his voice filled with admiration.
"However, the king is surrounded by a formidable contingent of guards. Approaching him undetected would be extremely challenging," Nancy pointed out, her voice laced with a hint of concern.
"Extremely challenging doesn't mean impossible. If all else fails, we can simply storm the royal palace!" Finn declared, his gaze sweeping across the assembled group.
Nancy let out a sigh of exasperation. "Why do you always resort to such drastic measures? Why do you always insist on storming the place?" she questioned.
"I think it's a great idea! We'll just barge right in and capture that so-called king!" Natsu declared, his fists clenched tightly, his voice brimming with enthusiasm.
"However, the likelihood of success using such a reckless approach is extremely low. The king would have ample time to escape, and besides, we have a far more effective method of infiltrating the royal palace," Carla stated, her gaze rising from the blueprints she had been meticulously studying.
"Hmm?" The assembled group turned their attention towards Carla, their curiosity piqued.
Carla held up the blueprints she had been working on.
"Based on the fragmented information I've managed to gather, I've managed to create these blueprints. This depicts a secret passageway that was originally designed as an escape route from the castle. It's a network of tunnels that extends from the outskirts of the city, leading directly into the castle itself," she explained.
Happy stared at Carla, his expression tinged with a hint of dejection. "I… I don't feel like I've been of any use…" he confessed.
Despite being a Fallen Angel who had been transported to Earthland, just like the others, he felt utterly useless, his heart heavy with the realization that he hadn't been able to contribute to their efforts.
Finn sensed Happy's distress and gently reached out to rub the top of his head.
"Don't worry about it, Happy. You've been working tirelessly to help us rescue everyone," Finn reassured him.
"Finn…" Happy nodded, his spirits lifted by Finn's words of encouragement.
"Now that we have a clear plan, we'll divide our efforts into two simultaneous operations," Finn announced, his voice taking on a serious tone as he addressed the group.
"I will proceed to the plaza where the magic crystal is located and create a diversion, hoping to either encounter Mystogan or Gajeel, or both. This will simultaneously serve to draw the attention of the Royal Army, creating a favorable environment for your infiltration of the royal palace."
"Your mission will be to infiltrate the royal palace and utilize Lucy's Gemini to extract the king's memories. If all goes according to plan, we'll be able to rescue everyone by tomorrow!" he concluded.
"Understood. Don't worry!" the group responded in unison, their voices filled with unwavering determination.
"The operation will commence tonight. For now, let's get some rest and prepare ourselves," Finn instructed.
Finn extended his hand, and understanding his unspoken request, the group placed their hands atop his.
"Let's give it our all!" Finn declared.
"Let's do this!" the group echoed.
————
As the time approached the late hours of the night, while the city was enveloped in slumber, Finn and his companions initiated their operation.
Upon the deserted streets, the sound of their footsteps echoed softly.
Finn raised his gaze towards the central plaza, observing that even under the cloak of night, the number of guards had not diminished.
"Based on my preliminary assessment, there appear to be approximately two hundred guards stationed in the plaza," Nancy reported, her voice calm and measured after having carefully surveyed the area.
Finn had initially intended for Nancy to remain with Natsu and the others, but the stubborn Exceed had vehemently refused.
She had insisted that she would be better positioned to assist Finn in the event that he found himself in a perilous situation, arguing that she could facilitate his escape.
Faced with Nancy's unwavering resolve, Finn had been left with no choice but to acquiesce, bringing her along on the mission.
In any case, Finn harbored no concerns about the guards posing any significant threat to his well-being.
Furthermore, Nancy's presence afforded Finn an additional tactical advantage—the ability to take to the skies.
In the past, Finn had often found himself envying Natsu's ability to soar through the air with Happy's assistance.
Now, with Nancy at his side, Finn would finally have the opportunity to experience the thrill of aerial combat and high-altitude maneuvers.
Having acknowledged Nancy's report, Finn nodded in agreement.
He then proceeded towards the magic crystal, his movements deliberate and purposeful.
"Halt! Who goes there?!" The patrolling soldiers, having spotted Finn's approach, issued a sharp rebuke.
"Stop right there! This is a highly secure area where the magic crystal is being held. What is the meaning of your brazen approach?" the Royal Army squad leader demanded, his voice booming across the plaza.
However, Finn paid no heed to their warnings, his pace quickening as he continued his advance.
Observing that Finn had not heeded their warnings and showed no signs of halting his advance, the patrolling soldiers instantly sprang into a state of heightened alert.
With remarkable discipline and efficiency, the soldiers swiftly formed a battle formation.
Countless magic guns were trained directly upon Finn.
"Open fire!" The Royal Army squad leader barked the order, his voice devoid of any emotion as he authorized the commencement of the attack.
Instantly, a blinding array of magical beams erupted from the magic guns, their trajectory aimed directly at Finn.
No fewer than a hundred beams of light converged upon Finn in the blink of an eye.
Finn's right hand ignited in a blaze of fire, and with a swift, powerful motion, he unleashed a devastating punch.
A torrent of raging flames erupted from his fist, surging forward like a ferocious beast unleashed upon its prey, hurtling towards the oncoming barrage of magical beams.
BOOM—
The magical beams, propelled by potent magical energy, were instantly detonated upon contact with Finn's fiery onslaught.
The earth-shattering explosions and the towering flames that erupted into the night sky jolted the city's sleeping inhabitants from their slumber.
In the suburban outskirts of the royal capital, near a clandestine passageway…
"Is this the place?" Wendy inquired, her voice laced with a hint of apprehension.
Carla nodded her head in confirmation, her gaze fixed upon the blueprints she held in her hands. "There's no doubt about it," she stated confidently.
Natsu, his ears attuned to the distant sounds of explosions, spoke up. "It seems Finn has initiated his assault. Let's commence our operation as well!"
The group exchanged meaningful glances before nodding in unison, proceeding to enter the passageway.
Meanwhile, within a dilapidated dwelling…
Laxus abruptly opened his eyes, his expression alert.
"I heard explosions!" he declared.
Gajeel, lying in another bed within the same room, also opened his eyes, his gaze fixed on Laxus.
"Could that be Finn?" he questioned, his voice laced with a hint of suspicion.
"Let's go and take a look!" Laxus declared, beckoning Gajeel to rise to his feet as they prepared to depart from their temporary shelter.
Before the echoes of the explosions had completely subsided, Finn's voice cut through the air, his words ringing with power.
A faint red glow emanated from his right hand.
"Hadō #31: Shakkahō!" Finn declared, his voice resonating with authority as he unleashed a devastating magical attack.
Finn extended his right hand, its surface radiating an intense red glow, and a torrent of raging flames erupted, hurtling towards the throng of Royal Army soldiers like a roaring cannon.
BOOM—
Even more violent explosions and the agonizing screams of the Royal Army soldiers reverberated through the night sky.
The inhabitants of the city were left in no doubt: the vengeance of Earthland had begun!
"What in the world was that?!" The Royal Army squad leader, having never before encountered an Earthland mage, was left utterly bewildered by the sheer power of Finn's attack.
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