Chapter 184: FTRJ: Chapter 184

Buzz— A vibration rippled through Cana’s bag. With a surge of urgency, she retrieved a specially-made card; Lucy’s image upon it was quiveri

Buzz—

A vibration rippled through Cana’s bag. With a surge of urgency, she retrieved a specially-made card; Lucy’s image upon it was quivering intensely.

This card, meticulously crafted by Cana to safeguard Lucy from peril, would unfailingly guide her to Lucy’s location, irrespective of the distance.

Cana stared fixedly at the card, her pupils dilating slightly with a tremor of emotion. Vivid images flooded her consciousness: Lucy’s desperate struggle against Freed and Bickslow; the genuine, unadulterated joy that radiated from Lucy upon clearing the first trial; the intense concentration etched upon Lucy’s face in the second trial, as she desperately racked her brains for clues. These scenes unfolded like a film reel in Cana’s mind, relentlessly eroding the foundations of her unwavering resolve, built up over years.

“What… am I even doing…?” Cana whispered, her body trembling with suppressed sobs that wracked her frame. She covered her face with her hands, tears streaming silently onto the ground. “No… this isn’t how things were supposed to be… I never intended to betray my comrades in any way…” She collapsed, surrendering to her grief, weeping uncontrollably.

Her blurred vision, swimming with tears, focused on the golden light emanating from the tombstone. With a newfound resolve, Cana slowly rose to her feet and walked towards it.

“It doesn’t matter if I don’t become an S-Class Mage, it’s alright. It doesn’t matter if I can’t convey my feelings to Dad, that’s fine too,” she murmured, reaching out a tentative hand to touch the golden light. “Because right now, what I want most in this world is to protect my cherished comrades!”

In an instant, the golden light erupted in a blinding flash, bathing the area in its radiance. Intense pain, searing and sharp, contorted Cana’s features into a grimace.

“I don’t need anything else… I just want everyone to be safe and unharmed,” she cried, the golden light now clinging to her arm, as if drawn by an irresistible force. “Even if I can’t remain within the confines of this guild, it doesn’t matter… no matter where I find myself, my heart will forever remain in this same place! Please, I beg you… lend me the power to protect this cherished guild! Because I…”

“Love this guild more than anything else in the world!”

The surrounding clamor and noise abruptly ceased; the agonizing pain in her arm vanished without a trace, and the light transformed, becoming incredibly soft and gentle, suffusing the area with warmth.

“If that is truly the case, then there is nothing left to fear,” a profoundly gentle voice resonated from within the light, imbued with a sense of divinity and serenity that calmed her troubled soul.

“Transgressions are not chains that bind and shackle people’s progress, but rather nourishment for the soul, cultivating growth and understanding. Go forth, then. I shall lend you the power of Fairy Glitter!”

Gazing at the newly-formed mark emblazoned upon her arm, a genuine smile gradually spread across Cana’s face, chasing away the shadows of doubt and regret.

“Guild Master Mavis…” she whispered softly, her voice filled with reverence.

Offering a silent nod of determination, she turned and sprinted into the depths of the forest, guided by the unwavering signal emanating from the card.

————

“Heh… even if we knew, which we don’t, we’d never betray our comrades. That kind of thing? You could kill me, and I still wouldn’t tell you,” Natsu retorted, his voice strained but defiant. “And, even your guild master, Hades, was defeated by Lucy. Do you even qualify to challenge her in the first place?”

Pinned to the ground by the oppressive gravity, Natsu struggled mightily to rise, his voice growing louder and more impassioned with each word he spoke.

“Dealing with trash like you? Lucy doesn’t even need to exert herself! I’m more than enough!!”

With a defiant roar, flames erupted from Natsu’s body, engulfing him in a fiery aura as he rose to his feet, striding determinedly towards Bluenote, much to the astonishment of Lucy and the others.

“This guy’s unbelievably stubborn…” Lucy muttered under her breath, her voice laced with exasperation, despite the crushing weight of the immense gravity pressing down upon them.

Hearing Natsu’s defiant words, Bluenote’s expression darkened, his features contorting in anger.

“You dare to say I’m inferior to that brat?” a low, menacing voice rumbled from his throat, tinged with barely-suppressed fury. He extended his hand once more, and an even more powerful gravitational force slammed down upon Natsu, pinning him in place.

“Aaaaaah!!!” Natsu screamed in agony, his body trembling under the immense pressure.

“That little brat, Lucy Heartfilia, merely defeated Hades in his normal state. You haven’t even witnessed his true terror,” Bluenote snarled, his voice dripping with venom as his hand slowly moved towards Natsu. “Once I find that insufferable little whelp, I’ll break his bones, one by agonizing one! As for you… you pathetic scraps of trash, you won’t live long enough to see that day come to pass.”

A dark purple magic circle materialized in the air, unleashing a devastating blast of energy that sent Natsu flying high into the sky. Gravity then slammed into him again as he plummeted back towards the earth, a helpless projectile.

“Damn it…” Gray gritted his teeth, his face contorted in pain as he desperately struggled to his feet. He attempted to form the seals for an Ice-Make magic spell, but in the next instant, an even more terrifying gravitational force crashed down upon him, pinning him to the ground once more, rendering him utterly immobile.

Watching their desperate struggles, Bluenote couldn’t help but laugh, a cruel, mocking sound that echoed through the air.

“You don’t even possess the qualifications to stand before me, let alone hope to defeat me,” he sneered, extending his hands outwards, as terrifying magic began to swirl around him, crackling with barely-contained energy.

“Since I can’t pry any useful information from your pathetic mouths, then you’ll all just have to die here, and now!”

“Is it you who has been hurting my friends and comrades?!” A thunderous roar suddenly echoed through the clearing, drawing everyone’s attention, including Bluenote’s.

Cana, propelled by a surge of newfound power, leaped high into the air.

“I won’t allow you to continue harming my precious guildmates any longer!”

With a furious roar, she flung a barrage of magical cards, scattering them through the air in a deceptive maneuver designed to distract her opponent. However, the cards were merely a feint; the true attack was the blinding golden light that suddenly erupted from Cana’s arm, radiating outwards with incredible intensity.

Bluenote’s gaze was completely captivated by the golden light, his eyes widening in surprise. His mouth hung open in astonishment as he recognized the power that now coursed through Cana’s veins. Without a moment’s hesitation, he extended his hand, instantly forming a complex magic circle directly above Cana. A terrifying gravitational force, far greater than anything they had experienced before, slammed down upon her, extinguishing the golden light and sending her hurtling towards the earth. Cana crashed heavily to the ground, leaving a crater in her wake.

Bluenote, visibly shaken by the power he had just witnessed, looked warily down at the immobilized Cana, who lay pinned beneath the oppressive gravity.

“That magic that you wield… what is it?”

“Could it be… Fairy Glitter?!” Charle exclaimed, her voice filled with shock as she looked towards Cana.

Cana nodded slowly, then turned her gaze towards Lucy and Gray, her expression filled with remorse.

“I’m so sorry for leaving you behind like that. I have no excuses for my actions… I’m truly, deeply sorry.” Her voice was thick with regret, barely above a whisper.

Lucy and Gray shook their heads, dismissing her apology. “We don’t care about any of that now! It’s fine!”

“Alright, listen up. Let’s put that aside for the moment. Natsu and Gray, I need you to cover me! While I gather my magical power, I need you to keep this guy occupied and buy me some time!”

Hearing these words, Bluenote’s brow furrowed in annoyance.

Without a moment’s hesitation, he extended both of his hands, and before Natsu and Gray could even react, a terrifying force slammed directly into them, sending them flying through the air like ragdolls.

Bluenote’s hands slammed downwards, his power reaching its zenith.

BOOM—

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