The sky slowly turns orange as the sun is slowly setting, we turn our attention to Erza and the others as the group is walking in the forest of the unknown region where they are very cautious of everything.
Erza led the group first on a worn-down path as Mira followed behind with the rest.
"you know, I thought that a mysterious and dangerous continent that gramps warned us about would be a little more …" said Gray before he sees a pair of glowing violet butterflies went pass him and away. "….mysterious and dangerous?"
"I don't see anything dangerous at all" said Elfman, glancing around as everything in the forest seems normal and safe.
"wow!" said Wendy as she sees a pair of birds on a tree branch, both birds having a beautiful baby blue feather coats while their eyes are pink.
"I must say that Lingyue has a very beautiful nature life" said Charla, walking beside Wendy.
"we should've gone in the air with Ash, get a better view on a nearby village or a town or anything" said Mira while crossing her arms.
"we don't know anything about this land nor do the resident of this land know anything about us. Better to be as friendly looking as possible if we don't want to attract any suspicions as dangerous characters" said Erza, thinking that Lingyue's nature might be beautiful, but the resident might not be the same.
"I don't think that's going to be easy" thought Lucy as everyone in the group except for her, Lisanna, Wendy, and Charla aren't nice looking people.
Everyone keeps on walking on foot before they arrived at the end of the forest where they find a small village where its residents are all wearing different colored yukata and kimonos.
"should we go and greet them?" said Cana, a bit hesitant on meeting other continent's people.
"I'll go and make some conversation" stated Erza as she went into the small village first and went to a nearby man and woman who are laughing in a conversation before they see Erza coming towards them.
Mira and the others stayed in their places as they see Erza greeting the man and woman politely as the two looks slightly confused to Erza who started talking slowly as if she tries to get them to understand her language.
"I'm…Erza…Scarlet!..i'm from ishgar!..i'm….a good person!" said Erza slowly to the man and woman who looks at her before to each other as they blinked twice then looks back at the scarlet knight.
"that redhead is so stupid" said Mira as Erza speaks while making hand gestures to the man and woman.
"well this is a different continent, they might speak different" said Cana with a sweatdrop.
"so your name is Erza Scarlet and you're from Ishgar?" said the man and woman as they are speaking in the same language as Erza which made Mira and the others fell anime style.
"a-ah! so Lingyue people speak the same language as Ishgar, I'm glad" said Erza with an awkward and embarrassed smile as she felt so stupid for speaking slow and doing hand gestures to the two.
"it's rare to see Ishgarians here at Lingyue" said the woman with a rather surprised face. "especially in this time of the year"
"what do you mean?" asked Erza with a slightly curious look.
"didn't you hear? The peace diplomatic between Lingyue and Ishgar are coming to a closing end. The two continents might be diverged again like in the past" said the man, explaining Erza of what is going on in Lingyue.
"again? Do you mean that in the past, Lingyue and Ishgar were enemies?" asked Erza.
"not enemies, our two continents were too scared to know each other that we just didn't bother one another!" said the woman to Erza who nodded a bit in understanding.
"but still, it's so rare to meet another Ishgarian" said the man while rubbing his chin before eying Erza up and down as his cheeks blushed a bit to how Beautiful Erza is to him. "and a rather beautiful one"
The woman looking annoyed, she pulled the man's ear hard, making him wince in pain while Erza looks confused to the action.
"sorry, my dear. but there's not been any other Ishgarian coming to Lingyue for the past 10 years." Said the woman to Erza while the man is holding his red ear in pain. Before a second could passed, the woman made a surprised noise as she clapped her hands once while looking at the air above then to Erza. "but now that I remember it, the last Ishgarian who came and lived here in Lingyue about 10 years ago was that Daimou!"
"Daimou? As in Natsu?!" said Erza with a surprise to know that the woman knows Natsu's back name.
"yes! Of course everyone knows that Daimou! He is the most wanted man all over Lingyue!" explained the woman with a serious look.
"wanted man?" said Erza in confusion as the woman nodded before she went into the house nearby and came out with a piece of brown paper then gave it to the scarlet knight.
"I don't know if past news of Lingyue ever reached Ishgar's ears, but Daimou is a very dangerous man!" said the woman to Erza who holds the paper up and her eyes widen to see Natsu's face drawn on it, the man has a bounty with a number of 1,000,000,000 on him. "you should be careful if you ever meet him!"
Moments later, Erza and the group are in a home that is lent to them by the village's chief who kindly let them have a place to sleep with the cost of a few jewels that is worthful in a different continent.
Right now, everyone sat in a circle in the home as they all look at the wanted poster of Natsu in the middle. While Ash is sleeping in the woods due to the villager chief and the villagers being scared of the large reptile.
"Natsu is a wanted man in Lingyue? Why?" said Mira with a confused face.
"did he do something bad here?" asked Elfman while crossing his arms. "I don't believe that!"
"I mean this is Natsu after all, what did he ever do?" asked Lisanna with a frown.
"could it be….." muttered Gray with a thinking look while Mira looks at him.
"what is it, Gray?" asked Mira to Gray who glance at her before to the wanted poster.
"about a few years back during the Oracion Seis incident, Natsu told us that he had an old friend of him helping Oracion Seis" said Gray as Erza, Lucy, Wendy, and Charla remembered the sudden rain of arrows ambush attack on the guild alliance. "maybe that old friend of his is a resident of Lingyue?"
"probably, but he did say that this old friend of his was supposed to be dead, right?" said Charla, pointing out Natsu's old statement in the past.
"maybe that old friend was someone important in Lingyue and it got Natsu a wanted poster in return?" said Lucy while thinking.
"but what did Natsu-san do in the first place?" asked Wendy with a frowning confused look.
"this is getting us nowhere!" said Cana with a frustrated look as everyone asked the same question in a loop.
"maybe we should just sleep for the night? Think better in the next day" suggested Lisanna as it is already night and the time for them to rest.
"yeah, I think so too" said Erza before her armor glowed and her pajamas appeared on. "but since this is Lingyue and we can't be letting out guard down for anything. We have to take shifts in turn if anything happens"
"got it" said everyone as they nodded.
Three hours passed as nearly everyone is asleep except for Lucy who is on her turn for the look out.
Lucy yawns tiredly as she looks out the window to see the moon in the night sky above, the villagers are all in their home sleeping, everything outside is quiet except for the sound of crickets singing in the night.
The blonde mage drowsily rubs her eyes from her tiredness before she hears some footsteps as she turns and sees Gray.
"change of turns" said Gray in a whisper as Lucy nodded before the two changed shifts.
Lucy laid down by an open futon bed as she rested down while Gray sat near the window and keeps a look out for anything suspicious or dangerous.
Nearly 30 minutes passed, everyone is asleep while Gray is on the lookout. Gray monitors the outside as he checks for the smallest thing that might move.
Gray keeps on looking out before his eyes caught sight of something black moving near the forest as it is so black that Gray thought he might be seeing a shadow and imagining things.
Keeping an eye, Gray eyed the forest before he saw some sort of black creature wearing a white demonic mask.
"what is that…" muttered Gray before he made a surprised noise when he sees that there wasn't just one black creature but several more. All of them are going near the village as the black creature with white demonic masks walks to nearby houses, eying the villagers inside.
"guys" said Gray a bit loud as it woke up Erza and Mira. "I think you need to see those things"
"those things?" said Mira while rubbing her sleepy eyes.
The two S-class mages went near Gray who pointed towards the black white masked creatures as the sight of them surprised the two.
"what are those things?" said Erza with a pure confused and surprised face.
"whatever they are, they're giving a name for nightmares," said Mira, thinking that the black creatures with white masks on are monsters from nightmares.
As the three keep on watching the creatures, one suddenly appeared in front of their windows, causing the three to let out a surprised shriek.
Their shriek woke the others and nearby villager's houses as in minutes time, screams of panic are heard in the whole village.
Everyone got out of their homes as the men brought out torches, spears, and pitchforks then started to fend off the black creatures away from their houses.
Erza and the others got out as everyone woke up and sees that scene that is happening.
"what are those things?!" exclaimed Cana as they see the male villagers attacking the mysteriously strange creatures who are backing away from them.
"I don't know, but if the villagers are attacking them, it means that they're not good things, right?!" said Elfman as they see one villager's pitchfork got taken from one of the mysterious creatures.
"let's help them!" said Juvia as everyone nodded.
The group went around as they helped the villagers fend off the black creatures, pushing them back and away from the village.
"Ice Make!" chanted Gray as he got into a stance, cold air covering his hands before a magic circle appeared in front of him. "Lance!"
Gray fired a blast of ice lances at one of the black creatures as his attack hits, but before the ice mage could see the creature defeated or fleeing away, he sees the cold air from his attack started to get sucked into the creature's body as if it was absorbing his magic attack.
"this thing! It just sucked in my ice!" said Gray as the black creature just looks at him before its body transformed into a quad pedal creature that soon jumps over the ice mage. Gray looks at the transformed creature while a villager went near him and gave the ice mage a spear.
"do not use your magic against the Genju! They will devour your magic and yourself!" said the villager.
"a Genju? It eats magic?!" said Gray in surprise before he and the villager see another one of the creature that is larger than the rest. Gray readied the spear given to him as he gritted his teeth.
On the other side, Elfman whose right arm transformed into a metal arm sends a powerful punch at a creature as his attack cracks its mask while causing the creature to stagger back.
"how you'd like a Man's punch?!" said Elfman with a grin before he sees his Metal arm disappearing as magic particles started to get sucked into the black creature. "this thing!"
"back away from the Genju! Hurry!" a nearby villager shouted to Elfman who took a glance at the man before to the creature as it started to became larger to the form like a gorilla that soon sends a punch right at Elfman. "Guaah!"
"Elfman!" exclaimed Mira in her Satan Soul before her Take-over came undone as her magic is getting sucked away by the nearby black creatures. "my Take-over!"
"are these creatures predators to mages?!" said Erza while jumping away from a group of black creatures that are surrounding her.
"this must be why Lingyue is dangerous to us!" said Lucy while backing away with Wendy and Charla, the three looking scared by the creatures that are getting near them. "it must be because of these creatures that are dangerous to us!"
More and more black creatures started to appear as they have the whole village surrounded.
"we're surrounded!" said Juvia as everyone is pushed to the center of the village by the black creatures.
"what do we do!?" said Lisanna as there is no way out.
"Ash!" shouted Cana, calling out to the wyvern but he never came as he is asleep. "HEY! WAKE UP! YOU GOOD FOR NOTHING LIZARD!"
The black creatures started to get closer and closer to everyone as their numbers were so many that no one might survive facing against them. But before the creatures could attack.
"Noboru Yama!" shouted a voice before a large round earth wall surrounds the villagers with Erza and the others, blocking the creature's sight of the people. "Teiso!" Earth spikes started to rise everywhere around the creatures, piercing through their body and masks, some disappeared into black smoke while some started running away.
A minute later, the rock wall around the people went down as every single one of the creatures are gone and the coast is clear and safe.
"what was that?" said Lucy, wanting to know who conjured up the rock wall.
"is everyone alright?" said a voice as several footsteps is heard nearby.
Everyone turns to the side and sees one of the 8 generals of Lingyue, Daichi appearing as the monk wields his Tetsubo.
"t-that guy!" said Mira, remembering Daichi being one of the four people who came and attacked the guild. Before anyone could think of doing anything else, the villagers ran to Daichi.
"it's Daichi-sama!" "We are saved!" "thank goodness our land's protector is here!" the villagers went to Daichi as they all thanked him with grateful smiles and happy tears.
Daichi smiled and nodded to the grateful villagers before he turns and sees Erza and the others.
"so…it is as predicted that you would come here, people of Fairy Tail" said Daichi with a slightly serious face as Erza and the others got prepared for a possible fight.
The atmosphere went tense for a minute before it disappeared when Daichi turns and started walking away.
"follow me" said Daichi as everyone looks at him just walking away.
Minutes later, Daichi is walking on a path leading up a hill while followed by Erza and the others.
"hey, Erza..are we just going to follow him?" whispered Lucy to Erza. "he's one of them, you know!"
"if he is our enemy, he would've attacked us with those Genju creatures and be rid of us, but he saved us and the villagers" said Erza while having a sceptic look to Daichi at front. "that man might be a bit different from the rest"
"that guy destroyed the guild with his friends and took out Laxus and many of our friends, Erza! Don't think of him being different from that guy!" said Gray, his eyes filled with hatred when remembering Gojin and what he did to Haruo.
"if you are having anger in your heart for what Gojin-dono did to one of Ikaruga-sama's child, do not let that anger boil too much" said Daichi as he stops and turns to look at the group because of hearing their words even in whispers. "it is as your scarlet haired friend has said, I am different from the other 8 generals"
"different? I think we don't have the same understanding of the word 'different'" said Mira while clenching her fists.
"I do not blame you for hating me and the rest of the Generals" said Daichi before sighing. "we were merely following the orders of the Emperor. And the orders of the Emperor are absolute to the point that we must follow it even if it means certain death"
"your orders were to kill Haruo?! What did Haruo ever do to deserve it!?" said Gray with an angry face as he slams his palms together before to the ground, causing a geyser of ice spikes that went towards Daichi.
Daichi stood in his place before he stomps his Tetsubo's tip on the ground once, causing an earth wall to rise, creating a protective shield against Gray's attack.
"you bastards attack our guild, attack our friends, took away Ikaruga and Haruka, and killed Haruo!" shouted Mira as she joined Gray on the attack against Daichi. The Majin transforms into her Satan Soul as she charged up a sphere of black magic in between her palms. "you think you can get away with that!?"
The rock wall in front of Daichi went back down to the ground as the Monk sees Mira charging her attack, the black energy sphere rages wildly in her palms.
"Demonic Blast!" shouted Mira as she fired a stream of black energy at Daichi who wielding his Tetsubo with both hands before he swung his weapon at the incoming energy stream.
Sparks of fire flew everywhere from the clash of the two attacks as Mira's attack was soon deflected.
"what!?" said Mira in a gasp as her attack went right back at her and exploded. "Gaaah!"
"neechan!" "mira-nee!" "this guy!" Elfman, Lisanna, Juvia, Gray, and Cana run to the attack as Daichi swung his Tetsubo to the ground, cracking it.
"wait! You guys!" exclaimed Lucy.
"don't just charge in!" shouted Erza as everyone just ignores her and went on the attack.
"Take Over: Beast Soul!" "Take Over: Cat Soul!" "Water Slicer!" "Freeze Lancer!" "Rakurai!" the five attacked as Daichi just stood in his place before his eyes went wide open.
"Gomon!" shouted Daichi as his Tetsubo emanated a brown aura before it caused the ground below to explode around the monk, and the attack blew everyone around him away.
"Gaaaah!" everyone went flying before they crashed to the ground from Daichi's counterattack that is so powerful that is in equal scale with an earthquake.
"w-what power!" said Charla in surprised to see Daichi's attack had caused a large crater to where the monk now stands upon. Gray and the others are all around the crater as the attack blew them hard.
"is this the power of an 8 General?" said Lucy with a shocked face.
"if you cannot defeat me, you stand no chance against Gojin-dono" said Daichi as he slowly climbs out of the crater and stands at its tip side. "believing in you can take revenge against Gojin-dono is a fool's suicide. That man has stronger stance against others, even for myself, I have no chance against his might" Daichi turns as he looks at Erza and he others who didn't go on the attack against him. "if I was given the order by the Emperor to end the life of any Ishgarians I came upon on, I would've taken away your lives instead of sparing them"
"then why did you?" said Erza, referring to why he didn't take down everyone's life.
"it is because I am a monk" said Daichi before he leans his Tetsubo against his shoulder and got his left hand up near his chest in prayer. "as a monk of Lingyue, I do not take lives. That would be against the teachings I had learned. And also that I am not given the orders by the emperor..yet"
Daichi turns around as he started walking again.
"help those who might not be able to walk and continue follow me" said Daichi as Erza and the others looks at the Monk. "at night in Lingyue, it is dangerous for anyone to be outside of shelter, especially when there are many Genjus around"
The group stayed in their places before they all decided to follow the monk to wherever he is going.
That's a wrap!
Bye bye