The morning in Magnolia was unusually peaceful and quiet—until Mirajane's startled cry shattered the rare calm within Fairy Tail.
"This is bad, Master! One of the S-Class requests from upstairs is missing!" Mira rushed down from the second floor, her face filled with panic as she shouted.
Pff—!
Makarov spat out a mouthful of tea and whipped his head around in shock. "What did you say? Which request is it?!"
It wasn't just him—Wakaba, Macao, Levy, and the other guild members all turned toward Mira in surprise.
"No way… those are second-floor requests—S-Class ones! Who would dare take one?" Wakaba said, pipe dangling from his mouth.
"Could it be Laxus… or Arlen and Ultear?" Levy adjusted her glasses thoughtfully.
"If it were someone else, maybe I'd believe it—but Arlen? No way. You all know his personality," Bisca said with her hands on her hips.
"It's not Erza and the others either. They talked about taking a break last night," Lisanna added as she walked over with a tray.
"And it's not me—I just got back."
The guild doors opened, and Laxus strode in wearing his usual coat, followed by the Thunder God Tribe—Freed, Bickslow, and Evergreen.
"Though I did see Gray, Natsu, and Happy leaving Magnolia earlier. I didn't get a chance to ask them anything—the train had already left," Laxus said.
"No doubt about it—it's those idiots," Levy and Bisca said in unison.
"This is bad… which request did they take?" Makarov asked, arms folded, his tone heavy.
"It's the cursed island—Galuna Island," Mira replied grimly.
At that, everyone's eyes widened in shock—even Laxus.
Among the three S-Class requests, Galuna Island was the most difficult. It had originally been reserved for Laxus or Arlen's group.
And yet… Natsu and the others had taken it.
"That's way too reckless…" Levy covered her mouth in disbelief.
"What are those idiots thinking?" Alzack said, concern written all over his face.
"Laxus, I need you to go bring Gray, Natsu, and Happy back," Makarov said firmly.
"Old man, I just got back," Laxus replied, exasperated. He hadn't even had a chance to sit down.
"This is urgent. I'm counting on you."
"…Fine, fine. You really know how to pile on the work," Laxus muttered, scratching his head.
"Should I go instead?" Mira offered.
"No need. I'll handle Natsu and the others myself—I'll make sure they learn their lesson."
Erza's stern voice came from the guild entrance.
"Oh? Arlen, you're back too. Been a while," Laxus greeted with a grin as Arlen and the others walked in.
"Master, leave this to me. Is that alright, Laxus?" Erza said, first addressing Makarov, then turning to Laxus.
"I don't mind. If you want to go, I'll gladly take the break," Laxus shrugged.
"Heh… Gray, Natsu, and Happy are in for it now," Levy and Bisca said, clearly worried—but also unable to hide their schadenfreude.
"Let's go, Arlen, Ultear, Lucy," Erza said.
"Alright."
Arlen didn't say much, but he was worried. Those two idiots and that cat had really gone too far this time.
An S-Class mission wasn't a joke—one wrong move could cost them their lives.
It reminded him of Mirajane's emergency subjugation mission years ago. If he hadn't arrived in time, Mira and Lisanna might not have made it.
"Well then, Mom, Cana, Kagura, First Master, Mira, Lisanna—we're off," Ultear said before quickly catching up to Arlen and Erza.
"Wait—Erza, are you talking about me too? I'm not qualified for an S-Class mission!" Lucy protested. She knew her limits—she couldn't even beat Natsu or Gray.
"Go on. Technically, you can't take S-Class missions without passing the exam—but if an S-Class mage brings you along, it's fine. Besides, you're a team, aren't you?" Mira said gently, patting Lucy's shoulder.
"I-Is that so…?"
Lucy was still a bit dazed, but excitement welled up inside her.
An S-Class mission—it had to be at least as intense as the Eisenwald incident.
"Alright, I'm going!"
After saying goodbye to Ultear and the others, Lucy hurried after Arlen's group, a bright smile on her face.
Meanwhile, at Hargeon Port—
Natsu, Gray, and Happy—having secretly taken the request—were desperately searching for a ship to Galuna Island.
They asked around, but the moment people heard "Galuna Island," they either refused outright, kicked them off their boats, or warned them to stay away from the cursed island.
But giving up wasn't an option—that's where the job was.
Of the three, Natsu was actually the happiest.
Because this meant… no trains.
And no motion sickness.
Just as they were running out of options, a middle-aged man with a thick beard, wrapped in a heavy cloak, slowly rowed a small wooden boat toward them.
"I heard you're heading to Galuna Island. I can take you there," the man said.
"Really?! That's great! You're a lifesaver, old man!" Gray beamed.
"Hold on," the man raised a hand, stopping them from boarding. His expression turned serious.
"Before you get on, I need to ask—are you mages? Are you going to Galuna Island to lift the curse?"
Natsu and Happy exchanged a glance.
"That's right! We're mages from Fairy Tail—we took the Galuna Island job," Natsu said, even showing his guild mark.
After confirming their identities, the man's attitude warmed immediately. He stepped aside and welcomed them aboard.
As the small boat drifted across the endless sea, the man introduced himself.
His name was Bobo—a former resident of Galuna Island who had escaped from the cursed place.
He told them many stories about the island. Gray and Happy listened intently.
Natsu, meanwhile—
The moment he boarded…
He was already vomiting his guts out.
Before they knew it, night had fallen.
A thick fog rolled over the dark sea. Above them, only a faint, hazy moonlight pierced through the mist, casting an eerie and tranquil glow over everything.