The battle between Natsu and Cobra reached a fever pitch.
"Fire Dragon's Roar!" Natsu exhaled a spiraling serpent of flame toward Cobra.
"I told you, it's useless." Cobra dodged it with ease and capitalized on the opening Natsu left while finishing the spell. He delivered a heavy kick that sent Natsu crashing toward the ground.
Just before he hit the deck, Happy managed to haul Natsu back up.
"Where did he go?" Happy looked around but couldn't find a trace of Cobra.
Natsu looked back, but before he could answer, a giant maw opened right in front of him.
Whoosh! Natsu and Happy zipped away just as the snake's mouth snapped shut.
"Run, run! It only makes the hunt more fun," Cobra taunted. He had long since forgotten Brain's order to finish Natsu off quickly.
"Damn him, acting all casual."
"That guy will definitely never find a wife," Happy added, casting the most vicious curse he could think of as he flew Natsu into a nearby building.
"Wait a second, Happy. Shhh..." Natsu suddenly put a finger to his lips, signaling for silence. "Hide over there, then we'll do a surprise attack!" Natsu said excitedly.
"Aye!" Happy replied. If Chen Fan knew what Natsu was thinking, he would likely be at a loss for words. Despite all the lessons Natsu had been taught, he still hadn't learned. His enemies kept telling him how they fought, yet he refused to adapt.
Boom!
The wall behind Natsu shattered. He had intended to ambush his opponent, but he had become the one ambushed. Cobra's foot connected with Natsu's face, sending him flying.
"I heard everything. By the way, what do you mean I'll never find a wife?"
"He even heard that?" Happy complained, immediately flying Natsu out of the building to resume their game of hide-and-seek.
Elsewhere, Lucy and Gray had also stepped onto Nirvana, standing amidst the ruins of the mobile city.
"What is going on here?" Gray asked, looking around.
Lucy surveyed the surroundings. "No matter how you look at it, this is a town."
"What kind of magic is this? These ruins are massive, and they have legs."
"It looks like a very ancient city."
Suddenly, a voice cut in. "Indeed it is. Oh, this is the phantom city, Nirvana."
"I am relieved to see you are both here as well."
Gray and Lucy spun around and looked up. "That uncle from Lyon's side!"
"...And the Oración Seis?!"
"Why?!!" Gray and Lucy shouted, their heads spinning.
The newcomers were Jura of Lamia Scale and Hoteye of the Oración Seis.
"Do not worry. He is our ally now," Jura explained.
"What?"
"The world is full of love, oh!"
"Is this for real? Wasn't this guy constantly screaming about 'money, money'?" Lucy whispered to Gray, eyeing Hoteye with extreme skepticism.
"Can that old guy even use Enlightenment Magic?"
"Well, things happened, and one thing led to another..." Jura explained vaguely.
"Come to think of it, Sherry had a total personality change too," Gray noted, a bead of sweat forming on his temple.
"So, it's like good and evil were swapped, right?" Lucy recalled.
"What! Something happened to Sherry?" Jura asked, suddenly worried.
"Don't worry, she's already back to normal," Gray reassured him.
Hoteye then began to explain the history of Nirvana. "This city was once inhabited by an ancient people called the Nirvit, oh."
"The Nirvit?" Lucy asked.
"Yes. Roughly 400 years ago, wars raged across many parts of the world. The Nirvit, who maintained their neutrality, lamented the state of the world and created a magic to maintain peace, oh."
"Wait, you mean that magic is..."
"Exactly. A super-magic capable of swapping Light and Dark. That magic was called the land of peace, Nirvana."
"This walking city..." Gray mused. "This is Nirvana!"
Gray continued, "What an irony. Nirvana, named for peace, is now... being used for the goals of evil men."
"But if you take out the 'Light turning into Dark' part, it would be a wonderful magic," Lucy said after a moment's thought.
"There was no other way. The ancients didn't expect things to turn out like this. The more powerful the magic, the stronger the side effects," Jura remarked with a sigh.
"In any case, it's a disaster now that this thing is moving. We must stop it as soon as possible, oh."
"Of course."
"Yeah."
As night fell, Chen Fan and Wendy seemed to have endless things to talk about. Though Carla didn't like Chen Fan, she stayed quietly to the side for Wendy's sake.
Whoosh... whoosh... whoosh...
Sounds echoed through the city as Nirvana, which had been shrouded in darkness, lit up once more.
The lights startled Gray and the others.
"What's happening?" Gray asked, looking at the torches that had suddenly ignited.
"That is Brain, oh. He is likely in the central Kings' Room, controlling the city's movement. While doing so, Brain cannot use any other magic. This is our best chance to attack him, oh," Hoteye informed them.
"You said it's moving. Where is it going?"
"Likely so, though I am not certain of the destination."
Suddenly, a voice rang out. "Correct!"
The group jumped and turned toward the sound. Midnight stood atop a nearby roof, looking down at them. "Only I know my father's thoughts."
Hoteye stared at him. "Midnight."
Gray was startled. "One of the Oración Seis?"
Lucy recognized his face and shouted, "It's that guy who's always sleeping!"
Midnight leaped from the roof, but upon landing, his silhouette flickered and reappeared a short distance behind Hoteye. Hoteye didn't look surprised; he seemed to have expected it.
"Hoteye, have you betrayed Father?"
"Incorrect."
"Hmm..."
"I simply realized that Brain was wrong."
"What! You claim Father is wrong?" Midnight appeared behind Gray and Lucy. In the brief span of those few sentences, Midnight had shifted positions several times without leaving a trace, his movements impossible for the human eye to track. Only Hoteye seemed able to follow him, his eyes moving in sync with Midnight's displacements.
"The human heart is not something to be twisted by magic. Even weak hearts can be made strong through our own efforts," Hoteye declared.
But as soon as he finished, Midnight's face twisted into a snarl.
Boom! Boom!! Boom!!!
The sounds of buildings collapsing rang out one after another, as if invisible blades of wind were slicing through them. Rubble crashed to the ground, kicking up clouds of dust.
"Cough! Cough!"
"Cough!!"
The dust was blown away by the wind, revealing Gray, Lucy, and Jura lying in a large crater.
"What... what just happened?" Gray asked.
"Lord Hoteye made the ground collapse to save our lives," Jura explained.
Hoteye stood at the edge of the pit, hands raised before him, staring cautiously at Midnight. Without looking back, he said, "Go to the Kings' Room quickly. The strength between the Oración Seis is roughly equal. I will handle Midnight."
"You wish to settle this with me?"
Hoteye didn't bother answering with words. He pointed a finger at Midnight and roared, "Liquid Ground!"
A golden magic circle appeared before his fingertip. The ground churned once more, rising like a massive wave that roared toward Midnight.
Midnight simply waved a hand, and the wall of earth rushing at him vanished into thin air.
"A duel between two of the Oración Seis?" Gray asked, watching the two fight.
"This development is getting a bit too extreme."
"Lord Hoteye."
Noticing the three of them still lingering, Hoteye shouted urgently, "Hurry! Go! And for the record, my real name is Richard, oh!"
"Hmm. Revealing your true name to an enemy... you really have fallen, Hoteye," Midnight sneered. A blood-red magic circle lit up beneath his feet. He was clearly getting serious.
"I, who have been awakened by love, no longer need a code name. Prepare yourself!" Richard pointed forward. Boom! The ground churned violently once again.
Natsu wiped the corner of his mouth. His body was covered in bruises and scrapes, but his spirit was as high as ever. In contrast, Cobra, who had held the upper hand for the entire fight, was starting to get frustrated.
Natsu was too damn durable. They had been fighting for so long, yet Natsu's stamina seemed inexhaustible.
Whoosh!
Natsu swung another fist wreathed in flames, but Cobra barely managed to evade it.
"You really never learn, do you?"
"Damn it! Why can't I hit him?" Natsu was growing impatient.
"Does that guy have a spell to predict movements?" Happy asked.
"No, it's Hearing Magic," Cobra said, repeating himself for what felt like the hundredth time. "I can hear your inner voice."
"Oh yeah? Then hear what I'm thinking right now!" Happy yelled.
After a moment, Cobra replied with absolute confidence, "I know perfectly well that you really love eating fish."
"He really can hear us! I was just thinking about eating fish!" Happy cried out.
"Haha! For real? My turn next!" Natsu said excitedly.
"Are you treating my magic like a joke?" Cobra snapped, but he listened anyway. Suddenly, he let out a snort of laughter.
"Damn," Cobra said to Natsu. "I didn't realize your thoughts were so hilarious."
"Ha! You really can hear everything! Well then, can you hear Chen Fan's heart?" Natsu asked.
Cobra's face froze. His laughter vanished instantly. "Brain must be getting impatient. I'm done playing games." Cobra didn't answer Natsu's question.
But Natsu and Happy had already seen the answer in Cobra's reaction. A smirk spread across Natsu's face.
"Here we go!"
"Aye!"
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