"Lucy, are you hurt?" Mira walked over from behind.
"I'm fine, Mira-nee." Lucy nodded instinctively.
"Moo! Lucy-sama and Mira-sama have amazing bodies~!" Taurus, with his signature heart-shaped eyes, emerged from the ground.
"Aye~ Chase, you're too much! You stole my thunder!"
Happy flew over from afar, stood on the fallen thug, and started throwing punches at the air, showing his bravery as a real man.
Plue thought it was quite fun. Like an elderly gentleman with limited mobility, he climbed onto the other thug and imitated Happy with decent form.
"Go back, you pervy bull who ran out without permission!"
"And you, you opportunistic damn cat! Where was this bravery earlier?!"
"Plue, don't play with that damn cat! You'll learn bad habits!"
"And why are Chase and Mira-nee here?!"
There were too many points to complain. Lucy's speech speed instinctively quickened.
In all of Fairy Tail, only the Tucao Xingren could handle such a scene, never missing an opportunity to complain.
"I was also surprised when I heard voices. I didn't expect it to be Lucy," Mira said softly.
She was wearing the same type of loose casual clothes as Lucy, clearly also out for a walk after her bath.
"Wait... just you and Chase? Does that mean you two..." Lucy's eyes immediately turned suggestive.
"There wasn't much to do today. I happened to have two tickets. Elfman was busy, so I came with Chase."
Mira raised her hand to tuck in her still-damp white hair, her face calm. "Besides, Chase helped me a lot back on Demon Ruins Island."
If I remember correctly, that's the same excuse you used for saving breakfast for Chase.
The familiar phrasing made Lucy's mouth twitch. Are you going to thank him for that one little thing for the rest of your life?!
Considering her own safety, she ultimately didn't say that out loud. She could only force a reluctant smile and nod.
"Having a leg (rolled R)~" Happy was much braver.
"Pupu (rolled R)~" Plue copied him.
But no one cared.
Because on the other side of the narrow path, another familiar face appeared.
"You saved me the trouble, Chase. I was just looking for these two."
Loki pointed to the thugs on the ground and thanked Chase.
"Loki? What are you doing here?!" Lucy's pretty face was full of surprise.
In this remote hot spring village, she somehow felt like she was back at the guild.
"They're the targets of my current job. They often harass young women."
Loki first answered seriously, then, as usual, quickly backed away, keeping a safe distance from Lucy, the Celestial Spirit wizard.
"...Taking a job like that? You were definitely hoping for a 'hero saves damsel' moment to impress some girls!"
Lucy saw right through him.
As for why Loki always looked so fearful around her, she had long since given up.
But this time, she was wrong. Loki — or rather, the current Loki — had no interest in picking up girls.
"You're probably right. Anyway, I'm going to turn in this job."
With that, Loki somewhat laboriously hoisted the two thugs and walked away, leaving behind a lonely, solitary figure.
"Loki's been looking really off lately," Mira said, a bit worried.
Spending a lot of time at the guild, she had noticed the problem early on and had even mentioned it to the master, but had only received vague, ambiguous answers.
"He's probably been dating multiple women at once and got caught. Someone dumped him," Lucy said, spreading her hands in exasperation.
"That guy wouldn't get so depressed over something so trivial." Chase dusted himself off.
Time was about right to let Lucy resolve Loki's issue.
"Trivial? I guess so. Then what is it really..." Lucy looked confused.
"Lucy, do you know why Loki gets along well with the other girls in the guild, but only avoids you like the plague?" Chase asked back.
"Aye! I know this one! Because Lucy has no feminine charm!" Happy raised his hand.
"...Lucy Kick!"
Happy was kicked into the distance, hanging on a bamboo branch, swaying in the wind.
No one cared about the dead cat's fate. Instead, Virgo suddenly popped out, her eyes sparkling, and turned her rear toward Lucy. "Princess, I want one too."
During her time doing jobs, Lucy — eager to grow stronger — hadn't neglected the training regimen the Dark Magician had given her. Her affinity with her magic power and Celestial Spirit magic had improved significantly.
As seen with Taurus earlier, the spirits seemed able to come and go between the Celestial Spirit World and the real world more freely.
"You're not willing to take even the slightest loss..."
Lucy held her forehead, speechless. She completely ignored Virgo's coquettish posing and turned to Chase. "So, Chase, why is Loki so afraid of me?"
Hearing this, Mira curiously perked up her ears. She wanted to hear the gossip too.
Under the direct gazes of the two beautiful girls, Chase cleared his throat, paused for a few seconds, and then said casually, "I don't know either."
"Pfft!" Lucy fell flat on the ground.
Expecting anything from this damn card addict was my mistake!
Mira was fine, just standing there with her arms crossed, puffing her cheeks in slight displeasure.
"However."
Chase smiled and held up one finger. He analyzed seriously, "If we reason backward, the answer is actually quite easy to guess."
"For example — something you have, Lucy, that the other girls in the guild don't."
"Huh? Do I have something like that?" Lucy blinked in confusion.
"I know! Super sexy, super daring, seductive outfits!"
Happy raised his hand again, vividly describing the treasures he had seen in Lucy's closet.
Lucy's face instantly turned bright red. She dashed over and put Happy in a chokehold.
"Ara ara. Who would have guessed Lucy likes that style of clothing~"
"But that would only make Loki more excited, not less."
Mira teased with a smile, then tilted her head in thought. "If I'm not mistaken, Chase is referring to Celestial Spirit magic, isn't he?"
"Celestial Spirit magic?" Lucy released Happy, from whose mouth a little soul cat had emerged.
"That's right. Maybe you could ask another Celestial Spirit."
With that, Chase looked at the masochist maid nearby.
As Leo, the leader of the Zodiac, Loki had caused a serious incident. Virgo, being a fellow spirit, couldn't possibly not have heard about it.
Lucy and Mira looked at her too.
"Princess... I don't know anything."
Suddenly becoming the center of attention, Virgo was very flustered. Forgetting all about exciting punishments, she hurriedly turned into scattered specks of light and returned to the Celestial Spirit World.
"What a strange reaction! Does Loki really have something to do with Celestial Spirits?!"
Even Lucy, slow as she could be, could see there was a problem.
Since Virgo wouldn't talk, she decided to summon Crux, the Southern Cross, the most knowledgeable spirit in the Celestial Spirit World, to see if she could find any clues.
This path, which occasionally had passersby, wasn't suitable for such a thing.
So, the group returned to the inn where the Strongest Team was staying in Balsam Village.
In the currently messy hall, Erza, wearing a sexy nurse outfit, was "gently" bandaging Natsu and Gray's wounds.
Compared to the dark guild job, the injuries Natsu and Gray had sustained in the pillow fight seemed much more serious.
"Lucy, Happy, you're back so soon?"
Erza pressed her slipper against Gray's face, tightening the bandage in her hand. "Huh? Why are Chase and Mira here too?"
"Funny coincidence. Chase and Mira-nee were also here for the hot springs tonight," Lucy said.
"Th-Th-The two of them... t-t-t-together?!"
The Fairy Queen's face instantly turned bright red. She associated to many inappropriate scenes, steam continuously squirting from her head.
Thanks to this, the "patients," Natsu and Gray, finally had a chance to breathe. They scrambled away from Erza.
Chase found a relatively intact area and sat down. "No time to waste. Let's get started, Lucy."
"Started? A new round of pillow fight?!" Natsu immediately perked up, completely forgetting the messy bandages still wrapped around him.
"No!" Lucy shouted.
After a brief explanation, Erza and the others' expressions gradually became serious.
When it concerned a comrade's life, they couldn't remain in a relaxed joking state.
Lucy didn't delay. She took out the Silver Key of the Southern Cross.
After a flash of Celestial Spirit light, Crux, with his cross-shaped head and beard, appeared, dozing.
Due to the rules and confidentiality clauses that spirits must obey, Crux didn't explicitly reveal Loki's true identity. He only hinted that Loki was connected to Karen, the deceased Celestial Spirit wizard of Blue Pegasus.
But that information was enough.
Based on Mira's introduction of Karen — who had also been a cover girl for Weekly Sorcerer — Chase logically deduced the truth: Loki might be a Celestial Spirit.
Lucy was horrified.
As a Celestial Spirit wizard, she knew very well that a spirit who had terminated their contract and forcibly remained in the human world could only end one way: turning to ash and smoke.
Ordinary spirits lasted two or three days at most. How had Loki lasted so long?
It seemed impossible!
Hearing this information, the Strongest Team — especially Gray, who was very close to Loki — broke out in a cold sweat.
If the guess was correct, then Loki, who had already been acting strange, was now in grave danger!
Realizing the seriousness of the situation, the group immediately set out, frantically searching for Loki.
With Natsu's dog nose tracking, they finally found Loki sitting alone at the counter in the dimly lit main hall of the new guild hall.
"Chase, Lucy, and everyone..." Loki was very surprised. He quickly hid the letter he had been holding behind his back, looking at a loss.
That was the letter he had been preparing to give to Master Makarov. Its content was, naturally, his intention to leave Fairy Tail.
"Loki! We've already figured it out. You're actually Karen's Celestial Spirit — Leo, Regulus — aren't you!"
The situation was urgent. Lucy got straight to the point.
Loki was stunned for a moment, then lowered his head, his expression. "I see... so you already know..."
He had never expected his true identity to be exposed so suddenly.
Since Lucy had even mentioned Karen's name, there was no need to continue hiding — he would disappear soon anyway.
"Hey, Loki! What the hell are you trying to do?!"
Gray noticed the letter in Loki's hand. He ran over angrily and grabbed Loki by the collar. "Didn't we promise to take the S-Class wizard qualification together this year?!"
"About that... I'm very sorry, Gray. I might have to break my promise." Loki let Gray grab him.
In his current state, he wouldn't last until then.
"Explain yourself. What's going on?"
Chase and the others all walked over.
Seeing the concern on his guildmates' faces, Loki's expression was very complicated.
"I broke the pact between Celestial Spirits and their wizard. I caused Karen's death. I have no right to return to the Celestial Spirit World."
Moonlight streamed through the window. Bathed in its cold glow, Loki spoke in a low voice, telling the story between himself and Karen.
Unable to bear watching Karen trample and use spirits as mere money-making tools, and to protect his comrade, the Aries, he had used his own magic to forcibly remain in the human world.
Since Karen's magic power wasn't enough to support summoning two spirits at once, her ability as a Celestial Spirit wizard was effectively sealed. She couldn't take any jobs.
Loki's intention had been to make Karen realize her mistake — to make her understand that they, the Celestial Spirits, were also flesh and blood beings.
But he hadn't expected Karen's attitude to never change. She had even forcibly taken a job and opened both gates at once.
The result: her body couldn't withstand the suddenly swelling magic power. She had died during the job!
Loki had been permanently exiled from the Celestial Spirit World, becoming "a star that cannot return to the sky."
"That's how it is. I committed an unforgivable sin."
"If it's possible, please keep this secret from the rest of the guild. Let me leave quietly."
With that, Loki placed the letter on the counter, slowly walked forward, and dragged his increasingly tired body toward the guild's entrance.
In the last remaining moments he had, he wanted to go to Karen's grave and confess his regret and apology — until he completely disappeared.
"No! It's not Loki's fault!!"
Lucy reached out and grabbed Loki as he passed by her. "Being exiled for protecting your comrade — I absolutely cannot accept that!"
"Lucy..." Loki stood frozen.
This was the first time he had seen Lucy, always so funny and easy to pick on, looking so serious.
"I'm a Celestial Spirit wizard. Trust me, Loki. I will help you close the Gate of Leo!"
Without giving Loki a chance to refuse, Lucy took a deep breath and burst out all of her magic power without holding back.
"Open! Gate of Leo!"
"Open! Gate of Leo!"
"Open! Gate of LEO, AAAAAHHHH!!!"
BOOM!
Dazzling golden light illuminated the entire guild hall. Lucy, giving it her all, shouted over and over again.
"Don't do something so impossible! At this rate, you'll be assimilated and disappear too!!"
Watching Lucy grow increasingly transparent in the torrent of magical power, Loki completely panicked. He screamed at the top of his lungs.
"Trust Lucy."
Chase reached out and stopped Natsu, who had been about to rush over and help Lucy. His expression was grave.
The moment his words fell — HUM — a mysterious, majestic wave of energy emerged from nowhere, sending ripples through the surrounding space.
Then, time stopped. Starlight sparkled. A massive, oppressive phantom took shape.
Two very stylish white beards (nose hairs) came into view.
The ruler of the Celestial Spirit World — the Celestial Spirit King — had appeared!
***
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