The massive group—now nine strong—boarded the train heading toward the suspected location of the Eisenwald Dark Guild.
Inside the train, everything unfolded exactly as Arthur remembered.
Natsu Dragneel, the Fire Dragon Slayer, instantly crumpled to the floor, green and utterly defeated by motion sickness.
Erza Scarlet, maintaining her iron composure, sat nearby, taking care of the incapacitated Natsu with the fierce, nurturing hand of a protective older sister.
She calmly fed him a sweet tart, forcing him to swallow the pastry despite his groans of misery, a sight that was simultaneously ridiculous and heartwarming.
Lucy Heartfilia watched the scene with wide-eyed bewilderment, and Gray Fullbuster sat opposite, quietly eating his lunch, pretending not to be amused.
Rimuru offered Arthur a small, savory snack she had purchased from a passing vendor, her silver-blue eyes reflecting the chaotic scene.
"They are a funny bunch. Don't you agree with me?"
She said, a soft smile on her lips.
"Yup, this is why I like this world,"
Arthur replied, leaning back and accepting the snack.
"It's chaotic, but they're good people."
While chatting, Arthur discreetly used his connection to the Tower Nexus to scan the parameters of their temporary allies.
The results confirmed his theory about the timeline.
Their levels weren't particularly high yet, which was completely understandable for the start of the major canonical events.
Arthur knew they would become exponentially stronger as the story progressed and they faced true adversity.
As they were talking, the relaxed atmosphere was shattered.
A figure clad in dark, ominous clothing entered their carriage. It was Kageyama, a subordinate of the Eisenwald guild.
He clearly radiated malicious intent and carried himself with nervous hostility.
Arthur knew exactly who this man was and the role he was about to play.
Kageyama was part of the plan to use the forbidden wind magic Lullaby to eliminate the Guild Masters.
Despite knowing their true, catastrophic plan, Arthur chose to remain silent.
He intended to let the plot unfold naturally, wanting to observe the defining moment that forged the future of the Fairy Tail team.
His primary objective was to accompany Erza to the end of the mission, then create his own guild.
Arthur merely tightened his grip on the snack and watched the beginning of the action.
…
The train car swayed and rattled with a mind-numbing rhythm, and to Natsu Dragneel, it was nothing short of a torment chamber.
He was slumped across the seat, pale and sweating, his vibrant energy completely choked out by the agony of his motion sickness.
His eyes were unfocused, and he could barely muster a groan.
A shadow fell over him, followed by the soft sound of a person settling into the seat across the aisle.
Kageyama, the Dark Mage from the Eisenwald guild, observed the pathetic sight of the famous Fairy Tail wizard.
He had been trying to maintain his low profile, his hand resting protectively on the satchel that contained his prized acquisition—the deadly magic flute, Lullaby.
A cold, superior sneer stretched across Kageyama's face as he spoke, his voice carrying an icy arrogance that was meant to wound.
"Well, look at this. The famous Salamander of Fairy Tail. A man who can burn down mountains... and he can't even handle a train ride."
Natsu's head rolled slightly, his blurred gaze falling on the distinct, dark guild mark visible on the man across from him.
The biting insult, coupled with the immediate recognition of an enemy, managed to slice through the worst layers of his paralyzing nausea.
"You're all the same, you legal guild mages. Always getting the big jobs, the pretty girls, the praise... You have it all, don't you? While the rest of us are left in the shadows."
He leaned closer, his voice dropping to a menacing, conspiratorial whisper, relishing the visible suffering of his rival.
"And now, here you are. Utterly helpless. A Dragon Slayer reduced to a puddle."
Fueled not by tactical thought, but by pure, visceral rage at the mockery and the sight of an enemy's face, Natsu's body jerked. He suddenly erupted with an instinctive, fiery roar.
"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"
The punch, sloppy and weak due to his sickness, still carried a genuine, superheated spark of dragon fire, catching Kageyama completely off guard and slamming into his reddened cheek.
Natsu then immediately collapsed back onto the seat, his body betraying him after the momentary exertion.
Kageyama staggered back, his composure utterly shattered by the cheap shot.
He kicked Natsu's side viciously, the anger overriding his mission's caution.
"Pathetic! That's the best you can do? Then you're no threat to me at all."
Without another word, Kageyama adjusted his satchel, ensuring the Lullaby was secure.
He then slipped out of the train car, vanishing quickly to continue his mission, leaving Natsu groaning alone, the painful memory of the encounter becoming one more motivation to find and stop the Dark Guild.
As Kageyama retreated, Arthur stood up from his seat, walking toward the pathetic figure of the Fire Dragon Slayer.
He crouched down, his expression one of paternal amusement.
Rimuru watched with keen interest, knowing exactly what Arthur was about to do.
"Well, let me help you a little bit. We dragons have to help each other, alright,"
Arthur said softly, his voice only audible to Natsu, lending weight to the title of Dragon Slayer.
Arthur didn't perform a flamboyant spell. He simply used his connection to the cosmic core of his power, the Dragon's Heart, and infused Natsu with a gentle, targeted pulse of his conceptual magic.
This was a subtle, temporary Reality Blend applied to the concept of Natsu's ailment—a perfect Dragonic Cure specifically for his motion sickness.
Natsu's eyes snapped open.
The crushing, oppressive nausea that had defined his existence on the train instantly vanished, replaced by a surge of pure, vigorous energy.
His body went from a heavy, inert weight to feeling lighter and more energized than ever before.
The motion sickness was gone completely, leaving his full Level 4 power immediately accessible.
He shot to his feet, wide-eyed, his scarf momentarily billowing. He felt an invigorating rush of power that was utterly foreign yet completely invigorating, an energy that resonated perfectly with his own Dragon Slayer magic.
"What... what did you do?"
Natsu stammered, looking at Arthur, the respect and fear he had felt earlier returning tenfold, mixed now with gratitude.
"Just a little magic trick,"
Arthur replied with a casual wink.
"Now, you're looking for that guy, right? He just gave you a perfect head start. Let's go."
With Natsu now fully operational, brimming with energy, and completely focused on revenge, the mission was about to accelerate dramatically.
....ADVANCED CHAPTERS...
[email protected]/PHELIO
!!!50% DISCOUNT!!!
................