"Skull and Bones? The Three Crows? If I recall correctly, they're a well-known assassination unit from the dark guilds," Mira said, frowning.
"Chase, why would they target you?"
When it came to guild relations, Mira was like Fairy Tail's walking encyclopedia, knowing all kinds of information most members didn't.
Of course, she also knew plenty of the guild's rumored love stories though whether those were true was another matter entirely.
"Maybe someone put in a commission," Chase said with a casual shrug.
"Could it be Joseph's revenge?" Lucy asked tentatively, her tone carrying a faint trace of guilt.
It was the only possibility she could think of.
Although her father, Jude, had changed greatly and would likely never do such a thing now, Phantom Lord had been one of the largest guilds in Fiore. That meant a lot of people's interests had been involved.
"It shouldn't be. Joseph is in prison, and Phantom Lord has been completely disbanded," Mira replied, shaking her head.
"No matter the reason, we can't let them get away. We have to catch them and interrogate them thoroughly!" Erza's voice was firm, her expression deadly serious.
To her, an attack on a guildmate was unacceptable.
It was only because Chase was strong enough that the damage had been avoided. If the target had been anyone else, the result could have been disastrous.
"Don't worry. Let them run four thousand three hundred ninety-nine meters first."
Chase reached out to stop Erza, who looked ready to dash off after them. "I planted a tracking magic on one of them. We'll move after they've left Magnolia."
Hearing this, Erza calmed, giving a small nod. "I understand."
"As expected of Chase," Mira said with a smile. "It's just bad luck for them to have picked you as their target."
"It's rare to see Chase actually thinking about the safety of the town, and "
Only Lucy seemed to catch the odd detail. "Wait, Erza, Mira… don't you care why it's exactly four thousand three hundred ninety-nine meters?"
"That's the distance from here to the outskirts," Chase explained seriously.
"That's so precise that it's completely suspicious!" Lucy shot back, glaring at him with open contempt.
Before long, more guild members arrived.
Once they heard that the adorable newcomer Lucy had been attacked (and entirely ignored the fact that Chase had also been targeted), their outrage flared. Several swore they'd pluck the Three Crows bare until not a feather remained.
The threatening atmosphere was enough to scare off nearby residents who had been ready to demand compensation from Chase. They quietly retreated, heads disappearing back inside their homes before they could fully emerge.
Magnolia's suburban woodland lay under a wash of moonlight.
Three figures sped through the trees, the wind of their passing scattering dry leaves across the forest floor.
"What a miscalculation… I never expected that man to be so difficult to deal with "
Ikaruga's expression was grim, fear and unwillingness etched into her face.
When she'd first accepted the mission from Jellal, she had been confident. She had killed S-Class wizards from legal guilds before.
Knowing that this time the target was Fairy Tail's Chase, the Three Crows had mobilized all members and even prepared a secondary plan. Yet it had still ended in failure.
For someone as prideful as her, it was a bitter humiliation.
"So, what now? Do we return to the Tower of Paradise?" Vidaldus asked.
He had already dropped his magical form, revealing the shrewd tactician beneath a man whose calm demeanor and calculating tone were a stark contrast to the wild rock star from before.
It seemed rock music truly could drive a person to madness.
"Go back. Since we accepted the commission, we owe the client an explanation if the assassination fails," Ikaruga said after a moment's thought, her voice low and serious. "Let's hope the information we've gathered on Chase will be enough to satisfy that lord."
In their profession, reputation was everything.
"I understand," Vidaldus replied with a nod.
Then he glanced at the bird-headed, muscle-bound man beside him, who had been awake for some time but eerily silent. "Owl, are you okay?"
Normally, this guy was the loudest of them all.
Reminded by Vidaldus, Ikaruga also noticed something was wrong. She brought her wooden clogs down hard on the ground, halting her steps.
Vidaldus and Owl stopped just behind her.
The night wind blew across the open grassland, carrying a faint chill.
"Are you okay?"
Owl's expression was strangely blank, his eyes unfocused. Then, in a flat voice, he said, "To put it in a gentleman's terms, that is "
"Your fate was decided the moment you crossed paths with me, a man of pure justice!"
Suddenly, his pupils dilated, his muscles swelled, and without warning, he swung a fist straight at Vidaldus, who was closest.
Slash!
Blood splattered in the moonlight. Before Owl's fist could even connect, a flash of steel carved down his chest, leaving a thin red line from shoulder to waist.
"Hey?! What's gotten into you all of a sudden?!" Vidaldus shouted, startled as Owl collapsed to the ground.
"Isn't it obvious?"
Ikaruga slid her blade back into its sheath, her expression cold. "He's being controlled."
"Controlled? I didn't do anything to Owl!" Vidaldus protested, clutching his head with a baffled look.
His magic, Rock Sandman, used musical rhythm to shake a person's will, turning them into his puppets.
"Idiot, I mean Chase!" Ikaruga snapped, so furious at his cluelessness she almost laughed.
Whoosh!
The sound of rushing wind drowned out Vidaldus's startled cry as Chase, Mira, Erza, and Lucy leapt down from the backs of the city-guarding pterosaur and the cursed dragon.
"To go so far as to harm your own comrade…"
At the sight of Owl lying unconscious in a pool of blood, Lucy and the others froze in shock and disbelief.
"This is how the dark guilds operate," Chase said, stepping toward Ikaruga.
"I simply chose the most efficient method," she replied without a glance at Owl. "Compared to such a small matter "
Her eyes lifted to meet Chase's. "Tell me, Mr. Chase… how did you do it?"
Seeing her uncharacteristic politeness, Chase didn't bother to hide it. He held up the card pinched between his fingers. "Brainwash a magic card that lets me control an enemy's actions. I planted it when I punched him."
"So that's how… I admit defeat without complaint," Ikaruga said with a heavy sigh.
Buzz!
A dark-purple magic circle flared to life. Mira, now transformed into her Satan Soul form, strode forward, demonic wings unfurling behind her.
"Lady," she said coldly, "you dared to attack my partner. Do you think you can just say you surrender and walk away?"
She would never forgive anyone who dared to target Chase's life so easily.
"You'd better be ready to pay a heavy price!" Mira's voice was low and cold, her demonic magic flaring as the dark-purple magic circle behind her pulsed with power.
A second magic circle shimmered to life almost instantly. Erza appeared at Mira's side, clad in her Heavenly Wheel Armor. Her eyes were just as sharp, and the swords floating behind her rotated slowly, their edges catching the moonlight.
Now, with the three S-Class wizards of Fairy Tail Chase, Mira, and Erza standing together, the crushing sense of pressure was overwhelming.
Even Lucy, their own guildmate, felt her chest tighten under the sheer weight of their combined aura.
Ikaruga gripped her sword in one hand. Knowing there was no longer any chance to escape, her gaze turned cold and deadly. She steadied her breathing, preparing herself for one final, desperate battle.
....
Keep supporting me with you comments and reviews if you like the story please drop a power stone and your support is very much appreciated.
Want to read 40+ chapters ahead , share your fandom thoughts, or just fuel my translation caffeine habit? or if you want to support me please Join me on Patreon here! :
patreon.com/Keep_ItUp