Chapter 30: The Phoenix Priestess Pt. I

"Orihime," Ichigo called his wife after strapping his two blades onto his person. "Have you seen Kazui?"

From the kitchen, Orihime popped up and quickly replied, "He and Karin are with Natsu and the others."

"Oh," the adult remembered, "Was that today?"

"Yep!"

"Okay." Seeing as everything he needed for the trip was ready, Ichigo called for his traveling companion to come downstairs. "Yukino, are you ready? We'll be leaving in a couple of minutes."

On cue, the mentioned Quincy-in-training quickly raced down the steps, making her way toward her adoptive father. Unlike her previous clothes, Yukino wore a white high-collared tunic under a double-breasted trench coat that stretches down to her thighs. Held together by intricate buttons with the Quincy Zeichen, her trench coat had a unique fur-coated collar that was reminiscent of her earlier attire. Finishing her garb was a white knee-length skirt, a black belt with a gilded slide-on buckle, and white knee-high boots with the signature cross motif of the Quincy race.

Not to brag, but Ichigo thought Yukino looked good in her Quincy outfit. He let the teen design the outfit after letting her look at Yuzu's old sketches when she was still in the process of making her own Quincy garb. Though it looked like a mix of traditional Quincy and Wandenreich designs, there were themes depicting the Celestial spirits – the golden trims, star-shaped cuff links, and most notably the ornate slide-on belt buckle that had the symbols of the thirteen Zodiac. All in all, it was an outfit that was not only aesthetically pleasing and battle-ready but also pays homage to both the divine monks and heavenly spirits.

"You look amazing, sweetie!" Orihime squealed from behind Yukino and pounced on her. The Quincy trainee blushed at the compliment. Turning the girl towards her, Orihime's gaze became gentle and motherly. "Yukino, I want you to listen to your father, okay?"

"Yes, Mom," Yukino replied.

Orihime then added, "I know Ichigo will do anything to protect you and I'm confident that you can defend yourself, but all the same, please be careful."

"I will, Mom."

Done with reminding her daughter, Orihime then went to her husband with a smile. The moment Ichigo saw that smile, the hairs on his back stood up. He knew that smile anywhere and it wasn't the smile that made him do anything she wanted. No, that smile was diabolical and held untold pain and misery if her wishes weren't met.

"Ichigo."

Orihime's voice was low and sweet, but creepy and menacing that it made Ichigo squeak an unmanly sound. Heck, it even made Yukino squirm in fear.

"Y-Yes, h-honey?" stuttered the godly hybrid.

"Let me make this clear," Orihime began, her face now inches away from a sweating Ichigo. "I'm confident that you can take care of Yukino while on this mission but if I ever see her get hurt, even a hair out of place on my princess, then you won't just be sleeping on the couch when you get back. Understand?"

"Crystal." And without warning, Ichigo grabbed Yukino and skedaddled out of there, lest he incurs the fury of the woman known as Orihime Kurosaki.

"Did you have to scare Ichigo like that, Orihime?"

"No, Yuzu," the matriarch answered. "I was just being protective, that's all."

"More like a mother hen." Yuzu finally emerged from the kitchen, wearing an apron with a few oil stains. "Honestly, this all started when you got drunk that one night a few years ago. After that fiasco, poor Ichigo's been traumatized ever since. How you managed to scare the most powerful entity on Earthland is beyond me."

Orihime's response was only a giggle. Yuzu could only sigh after watching her brother book it like an escapee. Well, at least it made the house livelier. She then returned to cooking while her sister-in-law got dressed to head to the guild hall.

A few miles away, Lucy was brimming with excitement. Team Natsu along with Karin and Kazui was eager to complete a quest that offered a huge sum of money. While the others didn't mind the reward, the blonde Celestial mage practically had stars in her eyes at the prospect of having rent money, food money, and extra cash after a spiel of unfortunate monetary blunders courtesy of the very team she was with.

"I'm so excited!" Lucy squealed in anticipation. "I can already smell the cash just standing here."

Karin chuckled. "Well, she sure is excited." Her attention then fell to the other mages present. "What kind of trouble did you all put this girl through? Oh, and I don't mean you, Wendy."

"Overboard" was the apt definition for Natsu, Erza, and Gray. Notorious for wanton property damage, they were the reason why their team is rarely rewarded since most of the money goes to repair the damage they caused.

The question made the three rowdy mages grumble. Sure, they cause a lot of damage, but that's all in the spirit of Fairy Tail…right?

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure you three could lessen the collateral damage while we're here," Karin remarked. "I'm starting to feel pity for Lucy here."

"Okay, okay, we get it!" Gray cried. "We'll try to ease up on using our magic."

Even Erza was feeling embarrassed for all the unnecessary damage she caused.

As for Natsu, he seemed to miss what the lady reaper said and instead yelled, "I'M ALL FIRED UP!"

"And he didn't hear you," Wendy said with a sweatdrop.

"What do you expect from a battle-addicted nitwit?" Carla spoke.

"That's Natsu for you!" Happy chimed out of the blue.

"Can't argue with that," Kazui agreed with the flying blue cat. He then pointed at the now-gathering group of bandits. "That said, we might want to direct all that fire at them instead of some random building."

What followed next was sparkling lights, ice, fire, air, water, two dive-bombing cats, and a barrage of everything pointy imaginable. No bandit was safe and apparently, so were the houses within the city. The miscreants were no match against the might of Fairy Tail's strongest team and two godly reapers. It only took a matter of minutes until all that was left was the gang leader who was being chased by Lucy through an alleyway.

"I got this one!" declared the busty blonde as she ran after their target. One can tell by the look on her face that she was thinking about the massive sum of money they'll be receiving by the end of this.

"Oh, you think you can catch me, top-heavy!?" questioned the irritated gang leader.

A tick mark appeared on Lucy's forehead due to the insult. "Oh yeah!? Then, what kind of name is Geese!? Seriously, who names himself after a waterfowl!"

Nothing was going to stop Lucy from getting that reward. If the guy she was chasing was going to start a roast battle, then the blonde was more than happy to throw a few burns at the fool.

"You could've just chosen 'Swan' as a name!" the Celestial wizard yelled. "Oh wait, that would've been useless since you'd remain an ugly duckling!"

On the rooftops, Karin and Kazui were following the two while listening to them throw insults at one another. Suffice it to say, the reapers were more than surprised and impressed at their guildmate's ability to talk smack.

"I never thought Lucy could be so savage," remarked Kazui as he jumped over a gap between two rooftops. The boy was trying his best not to burst out laughing.

"I know," Karin agreed. She, too, was finding it difficult to hold back her laughter. "Who knew the girl could throw that much shade?"

Meanwhile, Geese turned left into a tight alley. Lucy didn't hesitate to follow the felon and quickly took the same left turn to catch him. Some obstacles blocked the path like a crate and some bottles, but they didn't hinder the man's will to escape or Lucy's thirst for reward money. As they went deeper, they could make out a wall that blocked the end.

"Sweet!" Lucy cheered. "Right into a dead end. Reward money, here I come!"

Unfortunately for the blonde, Geese capture was not part of his daily schedule. Using his magic, the thief was engulfed in a cloud of smoke and became as thin as paper. This shocked Lucy and, further adding to her bafflement, the wanted man jumped and began slipping through the minuscule space between the walls.

"NO, NO, NO, NO!" Horrified, Lucy could already see the image of her reward slowly becoming out of reach. "No way!"

Geese eventually got through the small gap and returned to his normal size while Lucy crashed into the wall.

"No fair!" wailed the Celestial mage.

Geese gave Lucy a smug smirk before bolting out of there. "Finally!" he yelled in victory. "I got to escape those stupid mages."

Luckily for Lucy and the rest of the team, there were still two people waiting for the opportune moment to capture the gang leader.

"Bakudō #61: Rikujōkōrō!"

Six rays of light slammed into Geese's midsection, effectively immobilizing the gang leader. "Hey! What the heck is this!?" he yelled while trying and failing to break free from his bindings. "Damn it! I can't get out!"

"You won't," Kazui clarified as he landed next to the criminal. Karin descended right after him. "Even an S-class mage won't be able to escape from that. So, consider yourself captured."

Kazui's happy tone when he said those words irritated the bound felon but, considering that the other mages were now approaching him, he sighed and admitted his defeat.

Although they got a tongue-lashing from the town mayor for wrecking most of the town, Team Natsu plus the two reapers still got a huge sum of money thanks to the successful quest. Everyone was happy, none more so than Lucy who was currently hugging the very reason why they managed to catch Geese.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you, Kazui!" Lucy squealed in happiness while embracing the young reaper and rubbing her cheeks onto his. "Who's a good boy? Who's a good boy? You are, that's what!"

"She's treating him like a dog!" Happy yelled in a burst of laughter.

Lucy then suddenly pressed the boy's face between her chest out of sheer appreciation. Unbeknownst to her though, a certain blue-haired dragon slayer was feeling a little jealous. Kazui, being the walking ray of sunshine that he is, simply enjoyed the softness that covered his face. The thing coming into his mind was two soft pillows squishing him.

"This is nice," the young hybrid sighed in contentment.

"Reminds you of your mom when you were younger, Kazui?" Karin remarked with a knowing smirk. She noticed the look on Wendy's face earlier and couldn't help but tease her more.

"Yep, yep!" Kazui chirped in response, making the bluenette look at her chest in disappointment.

The boat ride continued silently, oftentimes broken with idle chatter between friends. Everyone was happy for a job well done except for Natsu and Wendy who were experiencing a terrible case of nausea.

"Ugh," the two dragon slayers groaned.

A thought suddenly came to Erza. "Hey, Karin."

"'Sup?"

"You mentioned earlier that Ichigo went on a quest, right?" the redhead asked.

"Yeah. Why?"

"I was wondering what kind of request it is." While it's true that every member of the guild would go out on quests, this is Ichigo they were talking about. No doubt whatever quest he took would be difficult even for the Titania's standards.

"It's a dark guild extermination sanctioned by the master himself," replied Karin. "But the quest would serve more as Yukino's in-field training."

"Isn't that a bit too much?" Lucy questioned, a little concerned over her fellow spirit mage.

The middle of the Kurosaki siblings just shook her head. "Nope. Something like that would be like a warm-up for Ichigo but for my niece? That's just about the right difficulty for her."

Lucy and Erza looked at each other. A dark guild extermination would be a walk in the park for Ichigo, sure, but something like that would be a bit too much for Yukino. And to top it off, the patriarch of the Kurosaki considered it as "training." However, both women knew how overprotective Ichigo was of his kids, so it's safe to assume that the girl was in good hands.

"Well, knowing Ichigo, I'm sure Yukino will be alright," Erza said with certainty. The blonde Celestial, however, didn't share her optimism.

"Whatever you say, Erza," Lucy reluctantly said.

Speaking of the two, Ichigo and Yukino were looking over an old mansion teeming with dark mages. Holding the request letter from the mayor of Dunnshire, the two looked at the piece of parchment to confirm if this was the target guild.

Based on the reports given by the nearby town's mayor, Laughing Manticore has been causing trouble for the townspeople by harassing them and demanding money. The situation got so worse when some of the women were kidnapped and molested by the guild's mages. The town mayor, having no other choice sent the request to any guild willing to help get rid of the menace.

"Looks like this is the place," Ichigo stated, confirming that the guild below is the one they were after. He then turned to her daughter and said, "Ready your bow, we'll take out those two guards over there."

Yukino did as she was told and summoned her spirit longbow. That said, there was something she wanted to ask her father. "Umm…Dad? Are you going to fire a Bala or a Cero?"

Ichigo smirked. "Nope," he answered. He stretched his hand forward and manipulated the ambient reishi to converge into his palms. The power congealed and materialized into his own spirit bow – one that was black instead of the usual blue. "I have my bow. A Bala or a Cero would be too noisy."

The silver-haired girl chuckled, forgetting that her adoptive father was part Quincy. Nodding in understanding, Yukino pulled on the ethereal string and materialized an arrow, primed for fire.

Ichigo did the same and began instructing the Quincy trainee on what to do. "Remember, Yukino," he reminded, "don't hesitate. These people have done nothing but abuse their power and take advantage of the innocent civilians of Dunnshire."

Yukino adjusted her aim, her sights landing on the head of her intended target.

It was a kill shot.

"I'm ready," she notified.

"On my mark," the reaper prepared. When he found the right moment, he alerted his daughter. "Now!"

Their arrows struck true, with Yukino getting a headshot while Ichigo hit the upper chest. Both targets fell into a lifeless heap.

The Quincy-in-training and her hybrid father both dispelled their spiritual bows. They quickly descended from the ledge they stood on and stealthily made their way to the dark guild hideout.

"Anything wrong, Yukino?" Ichigo asked, noticing the uncomfortable silence of his daughter.

"That wasn't my first kill," began the spirit mage/holy archer. "I knew from the beginning that being a mage meant I'd be fighting dark wizards. I know that it's unavoidable, but I try my best not to resort to that. It just makes me feel…horrible."

"It's never easy," Ichigo remarked. "But what you're feeling right now, that's a good thing."

Yukino was a little surprised. "How so?"

"Because that feeling of remorse is what separates us from these people. To us, killing is a last resort while for them, it's a pastime. The only reason why I'm not that affected when killing is that I've done it so much that I've become desensitized. Looks like we're here."

They finally reached the back entrance of the hideout. Ichigo unstrapped the smaller Zangetsu blade while Yukino ignited a Seele Schneider. The girl did not forget the short discussion she had with her father and reminded herself that, although she may have to take a life again in this very mission, it didn't mean that she needed to.

The headquarters of Laughing Manticore was a mansion of a wealthy merchant who they drove out of town. The location itself was secluded enough for it not to be noticed yet close enough to a town where they can do "business."

The structure was currently housing at least a hundred dark mages ranging from C-class to B-class. The guildmaster, one Salve Lupus, is the only A-class wizard and it was said that he had one heck of a superiority complex. Based on these reports, Ichigo was confident that he and Yukino can take them on.

"What are we supposed to be looking for?" Yukino questioned as she and her hybrid parent trekked through the barely lit halls.

"Any documents on the recent spike in dark guild activity," Ichigo answered. "Most likely, it's hidden within the guildmaster's office. After that, we eliminate the guild so that Dunnshire would be free from them."

Getting the gist of the mission, Yukino nodded and followed the hybrid until they successfully reached what they presumed to be the guildmaster's chambers without alerting any guards.

"Well, that was easy," Ichigo remarked and looked over his shoulder.

Yukino just shrugged.

Ichigo opened the doorknob, mildly surprised that it wasn't locked. "You'd think they'd at least lock the door if when nobody's here."

"The guildmaster must be overconfident," Yukino said.

"Got that right."

As they got inside, they immediately scrounged for any intel that might be useful. They found some things, but nothing worth noting yet.

"Trade deals, bribes, supplies from other dark guilds, weapons; while useful, it's still not what I expected to find," said the Kurosaki patriarch while sifting through paper by paper. He went to another filer and scanned what was inside until he noticed a header that seemed to be highlighted. Taking it out, he read the title aloud. "Project Breakdown?"

Meanwhile, Yukino was also busy at her end. There were already two tall stacks of documents beside her that she deemed important. When she was about to move to the next filer, she saw an odd drawing of a strange object. Unsure of what it is, she took the sketch to show it to Ichigo.

"Dad," the girl called, "I have a drawing of something that might be important."

When Yukino called the adult reaper, he was busy examining the contents of the paper labeled "Project Breakdown." What was written there made him concerned. Apparently, the project was designed to break down the limits of creatures known as etherius, hence the name. Whatever they are, they don't sound human.

Ichigo looked up to see Yukino holding a drawing of some kind. When his eyes saw what the sketch was, he gasped in horror.

"I-It can't be," he said in utter shock. "It's not possible."

Concerned, Yukino asked, "What's wrong? Is this sphere something importa–"

"Collect everything that's connected to Project Breakdown and that drawing," Ichigo commanded, cutting Yukino from her questioning.

The girl knew something was wrong. If Ichigo Kurosaki was shaken then it's tantamount to take whatever it is that shook him to be important. Yukino didn't say anything, only replying with a determined nod before quickly gathering all files related to the project and the mysterious drawing of the sphere.

Their search was thorough; never leaving any cabinet, filer, or drawer unchecked in the fear of leaving any crucial document behind. It took longer than they expected, but they finished gathering all the documents connected to Project Breakdown and the sketch. They were just about to complete their second objective when a random Laughing Manticore mage entered the room.

"What the fuck are you–"

"Inemuri."

The sod didn't get to finish when he fell unconscious.

"That spell never gets enough credit," remarked Ichigo. "Come on. Let's say hello to the guildmaster and let them know that their business has been canceled." They then left the guildmaster's chambers and headed to the common area where the largest concentration of energy was gathered and smack dab in the middle of the gathering was Salve Lupus.

The two spirit warriors didn't bother with any introductions. They came here to take down this guild and they're going to let their actions speak for themselves.

The door to the main hall burst into splinters as Ichigo and Yukino entered. Both took out their weapons – zanpakūto and gate keys respectively – and began attacking the dark mages.

Ichigo fired a wordless Getsuga Tenshō at a group of Laughing Manticore mages that immediately eliminated the threat. Yukino summoned Libra and ordered her spirit to subdue the other enemy mages by increasing gravity. She then fired a volley of spirit arrows that targeted nonlethal parts of the body. All of this was happening so fast that the guildmaster was left in a state of shock.

"What the fuck is happening!?" he yelled. "Who the hell are these guys!?"

"They're mages from Fairy Tail, master," answered a Laughing Manticore member.

"Well, don't just stand there, kill them!" ordered the furious guildmaster.

The wizards converged on the reaper and Quincy to overwhelm them with numbers but that wouldn't work. Ichigo was just too fast while Yukino was protected by her spirit.

"Hold on," said a random dark mage. He looked at the black-robed reaper and began describing his features. "Orange hair, black robes, twin swords that look like a trench knife, and a Khyber blade." Then it came to him, making the man pale in absolute fear. "Oh god, it's him! It's Fairy Tail's Death God!"

"You mean that rumor was real!?" That was all a random mage could say before he got his head kicked into the ground, and ass tooted up.

"Licht Regen!" Yukino fired a rain of arrows that indiscriminately hit the dark guild's wizards. When an opportunistic mage managed to sneak up on her, she powered up her Seele Schneider and cleft the man's weapon in half, and kicked him in the family jewels.

"Bala." Ichigo continuously shot the energy attack from the tips of his swords and practically mowed the majority of Laughing Manticore's wizards. When the sound of explosions died down, the only thing left to hear were the pained groans from the still-conscious dark mages.

"YOU!" Salve pointed at Ichigo and Yukino in anger. "I don't care if you're a god, but I will make you pay for–"

Salve was cut off when Ichigo hit him with a right hook to his left cheek. He got another hook courtesy of Yukino who got him by the right side of his face. That wasn't the end of his trouble, however, when the reaper Spartan kicked him in the gut. The Quincy trainee again hit him on the right cheek, this time with a powerful left elbow. Ichigo struck again with an uppercut angled to his left that was followed up by his daughter with a vicious high jump kick before he grabbed the stunned guildmaster by the neck and performed a devastating chokeslam that cratered the mansion floor.

Salve Lupus was down and along with it, the entirety of Laughing Manticore. Ichigo scanned the area and saw most of the dark mages either unconscious or incapacitated. No one was dead, save for the two they shot down while trying to get in. All in all, Yukino did exceptionally well, making look at the girl and smiling proudly.

"Good job," he said while ruffling her hair. "Class dismissed."

It was only a week after the Kurosaki family made themselves public when the trouble began brewing again. In the main headquarters of the Magic Council, the council members had called upon the presence of the guildmasters to address this new development.

"An unusual amount of magic power has been detected in the mountain regions north of Fiore," councilman Babaraki began as he read the reports. "An investigation is underway, but preliminary reports indicate that the blast was strong enough to blow two maintain peaks."

"What's more, we have reason to believe that this was merely a fraction of its full power. However, our biggest concern is that it might rival that of Zeref," councilman Org added.

This info sent the various guild leaders in hushed murmurs with one another. Among these individuals, Makarov Dreyar sat quietly while taking in the info shared by the council.

"A troubling thought, to say the least."

"Could this power rival that of Ichigo Kurosaki?" councilman Sid questioned.

"Fortunately, it doesn't," replied a relieved Org. "We have yet to identify a power that could rival that of a death god. At least, we could take solace in that. However, that kind of power could spell the world's destruction."

Gran Doma agreed. Though not as great as that of Ichigo Kurosaki or any of his family members, it didn't escape the fact that such a kind of power left alone could bring about the worst kind of disaster possible.

"At any rate, we cannot overlook it," stated the chairman as he stood up. His stern gaze was directed at his peers and the guildmasters. "This is precisely why I summoned the guildmasters here. We need our best minds working together."

A little hour later, the meeting was adjourned, and Makarov sat in silence outside in one of the headquarters' gardens smoking, contemplating the news revealed to him and his fellow guildmasters earlier. While he cannot deny that the chairman's summon was warranted, he also took into consideration that these individuals have big egos.

"A collection of our biggest minds and blowhards, I'd say," grumbled the third Fairy Tail guildmaster. He glanced behind him and said, "Listen, think you could handle this?"

Behind the wall were a pair of cat ears and a metallic grin from a black-haired man.

"MAGNOLIA, YOUR HEROES ARE BACK!"

The cry of elation and excitement from Natsu was also shared by his guildmates. However, the feeling of jubilation was more present in Lucy than in any of the others. After all, they finally managed to bag a lucrative quest and got a hefty reward in return. It was more than enough to feed her for months and pay her rent. This is also the reason why she has her arms around Kazui like some teddy bear. If it weren't for the little reaper, then her money might have literally escaped her.

"She hasn't let him go since we left the port town," Karin stated while grinning at a certain blue-haired dragon slayer. "And it seems Kazui's enjoying having his head between two soft pillows.

Wendy knew what Karin meant and it just made her more self-conscious.

"I honestly never seen her this happy before," Erza commented, enjoying the happiness her guildmate was experiencing.

"Can you blame her?" Gray remarked. "This could be one of our most successful missions. It's no wonder the girl's ecstatic."

"You think she's going to blow up all that money?" Happy questioned while munching on some fish.

"AS IF!" shouted Lucy at the blue cat, making him drop his meal. "Unlike you idiots who would literally burn money, I know how to manage my savings."

"Do you even have savings?" Carla asked.

"I have now!" replied the Celestial mage happily. "This is more than enough to settle my food and rent for a few months. The extra would go directly to my bank account."

"You sound like you have it all planned out, Lucy," Wendy said while carrying her Exceed partner.

"Of course I do! My Papa taught me how to manage my money when I was younger. I was the heiress of the Heartfilia Konzern, after all, and he made it abundantly clear that I learn that stuff."

"Mind teaching me some of that, Lucy?" Kazui asked, his head still resting on Lucy's bosom while she hugged him from behind.

"Of course, I will, you ray of everlasting sunshine!" Lucy then squished the boy deeper into her breast which made Kazui hum in contentment.

He really liked hugs.

Lucy eventually let go and began running to her apartment. Before she got any further though, she turned around and said, "I'm going to go home and freshen up before going to the guild. See you in a bit!" With that, she ran off with a happy skip at each step.

After seeing their friend off, the group of six (eight if you count two Exceeds) finally arrived at Fairy Tail's guildhall. They were met with merry cheers and the occasional bar fight they were known for. All in all, it was your typical day for Fairy Tail.

"Natsu, you're back!"

The dragon slayer knew to whom that voice belonged. Without a second thought, he immediately rushed to the one person he's been dying to see.

"Lis!" Lisanna jumped into his arms and spun her around before planting a soft kiss on her forehead, making her giggle. "I missed you, honey. Do you still feel sick?"

"I missed you too, dear, and yeah, sometimes I still feel dizzy."

"Well, you better take some rest once in a while. Need anything?"

"Nope, I'm good."

"Yo, Natsu!" Macau, the once-acting guildmaster, called. "How was the mission?"

"Did you catch the bad guys?" Wakaba inquired.

The salmon-haired teen let go of his beloved and let her go to her sister after a sweet peck on her cheek. He then caught Kazui in an elbow lock and replied to the two seniors, "Heck yeah! If it wasn't for this tike right here, then our reward would've gotten away."

Kazui just sheepishly chuckled. "It was nothing, guys."

Meanwhile, Erza took a seat next to Cana who was on top of a table hogging a keg of beer. "Is master here?" Erza asked the brunette.

"He got called in a last-minute council meeting," replied the drunkard in her slurred speech. "So, it's probably going to be a while."

While everybody was enjoying themselves back at the guild, Lucy was having her own little celebration as she went to her apartment. She was merrily skipping between the cobblestones that make up the road while tip-toeing on top of the ledge of the wall separating the rocky path and the river.

"I really should give something to the kid," Lucy murmured in an excited tone. "It's the least I could do for Kazui catching Geese." However, her attention suddenly drifted towards a person walking on the same path as her.

It was a woman with very long chocolate brown hair wearing a red sari and a white choli underneath covering her chest. The stranger was adorned with rather expensive jewelry such as golden bangles on her wrists, brassards on her upper arms, and anklets. Finishing her whole attire was a pair of brown leather sandals. She also had a strange-looking bird with a bulbous head for a companion.

"She looks tired," Lucy thought while observing the girl pass her by. The woman's steps were wobbly, and her breathing was ragged.

Suddenly, the woman fell to her knees before collapsing on the stone pavement, completely passed out.

"Oh no, Éclair!" cried the yellow bird. "Are you okay!?"

Without a second thought, Lucy rushed to the fallen girl to tend to her needs. "What happened?" the stellar mage asked. "What's wrong with her?"

The bird, now on the verge of crying stared at the blonde and begged for her help. "Please, help her," the avian pleaded. "You've got to help my friend Éclair."

The air of festivities was ambient in the Principality of Veronica. With its four hundredth founding anniversary fast approaching, its citizens busied themselves by decorating their homes and streets with colorful streamers, bright and vibrant textiles hung outside their houses, and the Veronican flag to signify their undying loyalty to their nation.

Inside the royal palace, Duke Cream watched with mild interest as his subjects prepared for the upcoming celebration. A young man with blonde hair and pale skin, the ruler of Veronica is a narcissistic individual who concerns himself more with outward looks. Anything that would make him stand out and be glorified – he would want it.

In the presence of Duke Cream were the members of the guild Carbuncle who were requested by the pompous royal for an assignment.

"So, the task is quite simple," stated the prince. "If I were to take my family's prized Phoenix Stone and reunite it with its lost half, something rather extraordinary will happen! Now, the twin of my stone has been found in the hands of some common girl. He turned to the kneeling mages and continued, "The Principality of Veronica will soon celebrate its four hundredth year of existence and my wish is to unite the two halves of the Phoenix Stone in the ceremony and dazzle my adoring subjects with a spectacle to follow. What better display of power than to perform the impossible before their very eyes."

"We will gladly aid you in this endeavor, Duke Cream," pledged the leader of the mages. "How?"

"Simple." The duke pointed at the wizards and answered, "I want your Carbuncle Guild to take the stone from that lowly wretched and give it to me." Duke Cream grinned. "You'll be rewarded handsomely. See to it that our four hundredth anniversary is a success, and you will receive four hundred million jewels."

After the meeting with the duke, the wizards of Carbuncle all gathered in a tavern to discuss the request Duke Cream have tasked them with. Suffice it to say, the four were more than happy to do it with four hundred million jewels as their reward.

"That was a crap ton of money he offered us," the biggest of them, Cannon, remarked after drinking a glass of liquor.

The only woman in the group, Coordinator, agreed. "Yes indeed. All of that money was just for snatching a piece of stone at the behest of the boy duke. Apparently, the boy has more money than common sense."

"I'll take some of it off his hands," said Cannon.

As for their leader, Dyst, he merely listened to his two teammates mock the foolish prince. However, since they were given a mission, they need to at least do some searching.

"Chase," Dyst called.

The man in a beige cloak behind the teal-haired man stood up and left the tavern.

Dyst stared at Cannon and Coordinator with a small grin. "We are both the glittering garnet jewel and the creature that lurks in the shadows." He held his hand up and lifted a glass of wine in the air with his mind. "And, after all of this is done, we will be considerably richer."

The other two agreed and cheered their glasses together before drinking its contents.

However, what they didn't know was a certain metal-eating slayer and his Exceed were listening to them.

It was evening in Magnolia with most of its members already gone for the night. Orihime placed the last mug on the shelf while her sisters-in-law were with Natsu and his team.

Earlier today, Lucy brought in a girl who collapsed on the road. She and Mira quickly took the girl and let her sleep in the guildhall's infirmary. Karin told them that the stranger just suffered from exhaustion and all she needed was some rest. It took the stranger, whose name was Éclair, almost the whole afternoon sleeping before she finally woke up. Lisanna quickly offered the guest food, thinking she might be hungry which she was. They also offered some food for the weird bird that traveled along with the brunette.

"Who is she?" Natsu asked nobody in particular.

"Her name's Éclair, dummy," Lucy answered. "Didn't we say that earlier?"

On the bar counter, the Strauss siblings, Team Shadow Gear, Orihime, and Yuzu were also talking about their strange guest.

"What's with that big baby bird?" Elfman asked his younger sister.

"I'm not sure, but I think it is her friend," answered Lisanna.

Droy stared at the creature and grinned. "Looks more like dinner to me."

"Don't you dare," Jet chastised the plant mage.

"That's not very nice, Droy," Orihime reprimanded. "You shouldn't think of eating someone's companion."

"What do you think, sis?" Karin asked her twin while observing the girl having a conversation with Lucy. "There's something off about her."

"Is it the bad kind of off or just the strange kind of off?" questioned the Quincy twin.

"Just the strange kind."

"Same here."

The twins continued listening on. The girl disliked mages given her distant attitude toward Lucy. Eventually, the talk led to the mention of a forest full of monsters near the border of Seven, and Carla having a premonition. Despite the warning, Éclair, and her bird friend, Momon, left the guildhall to travel towards the Boundary Forest. Still worried, Lucy and her teammates ran after the woman to either stop her from doing something stupid or help her survive the monster-infested forest by doing something stupid.

"What's the matter, Karin?" Mirajane asked, picking up the plate and cup Éclair used when she ate.

"It's just that girl feels different," replied the reaper. "Yuzu thinks the same and maybe also Orihime."

"Yep!" confirmed the ginger-headed mother from behind the bar counter.

"What makes you think that?" the oldest of the Strauss questioned further.

"It's just that there's this strange energy flowing inside her; something that's repairing her cells."

"Cells?" questioned Mira curiously, having never heard of the word before.

"Oh, long story short, there's something that's sustaining her," Karin clarified. "It won't be a problem for us, at least; however, we should prepare for something big. Unexpected visits from strangers often lead to trouble."

"That's a very pessimistic way of thinking."

"Call it a survivor's instinct." After saying her piece, the female death god got up and headed for the door. "Well, knowing those guys, they'd be in a heap of trouble in a heartbeat. I'm going to follow them since they need an adult."

Mirajane chuckled. "Okay, then. Keep them out of trouble."

"Sure thing."

"I'm coming too," Yuzu hopped off her chair and followed her twin.

After seeing the twins off, Mirajane went to the bar counter to finish cleaning what remained of any dishes used today. Seeing Orihime place a tray on the shelf, the demoness approached the Weaving Maiden and asked, "Will you be joining them, too?"

"Nope," Orihime answered. "Somebody has to watch over Kazui."

"MOM!" Kazui yelled indignantly. "I'm not a baby anymore!"

"But you do like being hugged, especially by me."

"Of course, I do. Your hugs are the best!" the boy admitted.

The mother grinned and glanced at the white-haired teen. "See? What did I tell you? He is my baby."

"MOM!" Red-faced, all Kazui could do was shrink in the corner and hide his embarrassment while everyone left in the guildhall laughed at his predicament.

A long train ride was what it took for Team Natsu and the Kurosaki twins to reach the closest town to the Boundary Forest. It had taken them at least a day of travel before reaching the town above. Once there, they were greeted by a festival filled with many booths and stalls that offer a wide range of food and entertainment. Natsu and Happy ate at a restaurant empty and since he had no cash on hand, he was forced to do dishes to make up for everything they ate. Wendy entertained herself in a shooting stall but never hit any targets. Frustrated, she used her magic and got reprimanded by the stall owner. Erza bought a wedding dress for…reasons. Gray got in trouble for being a nudist. Finally, the only ones who didn't get into any hubbub were the Kurosaki twins and Lucy.

It was around late at night when the group checked into a hotel. While everybody else was feeling a bit down despite the lively atmosphere in the city, Erza seemed to be the only happy one while the twins read some magazines in the reception hall.

"She's oddly happy." The remark from Lucy was the reason why most of them were looking at Erza who was busy arranging their hotel rooms with the receptionist.

"Must be the wedding dress she bought earlier." Gray's remark made everyone turn to him in surprise.

"SAY WHAT!?" they collectively yelped.

Ezra heard this and immediately glared at the group. "Is there a problem?"

The question shut them up.

After settling their living arrangements, the wizards, spirit warriors, plus Éclair and Momon went to their designated quarters. As per usual, boys and girls are separated. Lucy, Éclair, Karin, and Momon will be sharing one room; Wendy, Erza, and Yuzu in another: and finally, Natsu, Gray, and Happy will occupy the third one.

As the night got deeper, Éclair kept on observing the still-lively streets overflowing with people and magic. Though her memory was still foggy, there was no doubt that she held disdain for anything related to magic. That said, spending time with these mages made her see that there was more to magic than what she believed. However, she lived long enough to know that magic can only lead to sorrow.

You can never hide the wounds of the past that dug deep into your heart.

"Enjoying the view?"

Éclair turned around to see Karin leaning against the wall.

"Even if you don't like magic, you can at least admit that what's happening down there is beautiful."

"True," Éclair admitted. "However, that is merely a fraction compared to all the atrocities magic caused throughout history."

"If you're referring to Acnologia and Zeref, then they were merely born during a time when humanity was at its lowest." The reaper then stared knowingly at the brunette; eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Unless, of course, you're referring to something else that can be likened to those two."

Éclair flinched. The reaction was minute, but it was enough for Karin to know that she was on to something. Fortunately for the girl, she was spared from further questioning thanks to Lucy coming out of the bathroom all fresh.

"I'm all done," the blonde happily said while wiping her hair dry. "The two of you can use the shower now."

"Sure thing, Lucy," Karin answered, picking up her towel and getting a much-needed shower.

After the oldest of the three went inside, Éclair and Lucy were left alone with each other. Momon sat comfortably on one of the beds yet the bird itself felt like there was some tension hanging in the air. None of the two wanted to talk and, upon hearing the conversation his friend had with the raven-haired woman earlier, Momon knew that Éclair would not want to share what few thoughts she had for her current companions.

Lucy was aware of this too, and it made her feel like she was intruding on her. "You know, if you don't want me here, I could always get another room," Lucy suggested meekly. "And, it may not look like it, but Karin is very considerate."

It took a few seconds before Éclair replied. "I don't mind sharing." The reassurance made Lucy sigh. The long-haired brunette turned to face the blonde and continued speaking. "We have the same look in our eyes," she said. "You and I are alike."

Lost in her words, Lucy questioned, "What do you mean?"

"The eyes serve as the windows to the past," said Éclair. Her head tilted down a bit, hiding a forlorn smile from the Celestial mage. "They tell me that you've known sadness. I never thought I'd see that look on a magic user. More so, that feeling of sadness was more prominent with that woman in black and her twin."

"Our eyes…tell you that?" was Lucy's only reply.

What the two didn't notice was a shadow gradually expanding on the far corner of their room. The blackness spread on the walls and it consumed the light provided by the lacrima. Lucy and Éclair felt the darkness and turned to its source where a cloaked and hooded figure emerged from its maw.

The intruder flicked his wrist and from it, launched a throwing blade toward Lucy.

"EEK!" Squeaked the blonde who managed to evade the projectile.

The figure threw another once again, forcing the blonde to get off her bed and ran in front of Éclair. Momon flew to the two girls who were now on high alert. Whoever this guy was, he did not look friendly.

"The calm acquiescence of a captive," the stranger began, "The terrifying thrill of prey. Choose."

"What!?" exclaimed Lucy who was only covered in her towel. She did not have her keys in her person yet she will not back down from a confrontation. "No!"

"Good answer, Lucy!"

Suddenly, a sword punched through the shoulder of the invader. The shadows quickly receded as the conjurer fell on the ground gritting in pain from the stab. Lucy and Éclair looked ahead to see Karin dripping wet and naked, holding her zanpakūto after stabbing the guy who tried to threaten her friends.

"You bitch!" yelled the cloaked man before throwing a blade at the reaper only for it to bounce off her skin. "The hell!?"

"You've got some balls coming here and harassing a bunch of girls," Karin said menacingly. The water on her skin began evaporating as she let some of her reiryoku swirl around her being. "If you know what's good for you, then you should get your ass out of here before this sword of mine turns you into a human pincushion."

The masked man wasn't afraid of anyone, that much was certain. He had gone through countless missions for his guild and none so far had given him a taste of fear. However, this woman gave off a feeling that wasn't human. It was like staring into the eyes of death and the overpowering energy she unleashed further proved his hesitance. Whoever this woman was, she was no ordinary mage.

"She might not even be a mage at all!"

It was clear that he was no match for her, so he did the best thing in this situation…

"I need the fuck out of here!"

With his mission now a failure, the cloaked hunter submerged into his shadow. The light from the room returned as the two girls and the bird was finally at ease. Karin sheathed Suishigetsu and placed the weapon next to her bed. When she decided to check on the two teens, she raised an eyebrow as to why they were sporting light blushes on their cheeks.

"What's with the red faces?" questioned the reaper.

Lucy and Éclair tried and failed to say what was on their mind. They tried to look away from the raven-haired woman but they couldn't. Heck, even Éclair who was stoic can't take her eyes off Karin.

"Ummm…Karin?" Lucy shyly called.

"Yeah?"

"Could you…ummm…you know?"

"Know what?"

Éclair carefully interrupted. "Your clothes…please."

"Hmm?" Looking at herself, Karin finally understood what made the two uncomfortable. "Oh!"

However, the middle Kurosaki instead grinned as an idea came into her mind. She crossed her arms under her boobs, emphasizing the twin mounds in front of the girls. "There's nothing wrong, Lucy," she mischievously stated. "It's just us girls here."

This was the first time Lucy has seen any of the Kurosaki siblings naked. Even in their clothes, the females from that family were all well-endowed. Just looking at Karin's chest made the stellar spirit compare her size with Mirajane and it's a good competition. It may not look like it, but Yuzu also has an ample chest size despite having the smallest in their family.

That said, Karin should seriously put some clothes on.

"That's not the point, Karin!" Lucy shouted, pointing a finger at the reaper. "Some of us aren't comfortable being naked even if it's just us girls!"

Éclair was observing the interaction between the two guildmates and their banter made her chuckle. Karin's shamelessness made Lucy sputter and yell incomprehensible words that showed her embarrassment at the woman.

"When was the last time I experienced this?" the brunette thought. To be honest, she didn't know. That was one of the reasons why she was heading to the Boundary Forest for answers.

Speaking of the Celestial mage, her body suddenly felt breezy. The grin on Karin's grew wider while Éclair was covering her face with her hands. Confused, she looked at herself and finally found the problem.

Her towel fell off, thereby exposing her birthday suit for her two roommates to see.

"AAAHHH!" Lucy's screech was so loud that the others quickly rushed into their room, busting the door open for Natsu and Gray to enter. The moment they saw Lucy buck-ass nude, they developed furious blushes.

Natsu made the wise decision of going out. No way in hell is he getting on Lisanna's bad side. Gray, on the other hand, wondered if his stripping habit was suddenly contagious.

"I heard screaming!" Erza yelled as she entered with Wendy, Carla, and Yuzu behind her. The three immediately blushed when they saw one of their guildmates in all her naked glory. "Lucy, have some decency! Wendy is with us!"

Poor Wendy was trying hard to hide her embarrassment with Carla helping her.

"I'm not the only one who's not wearing clothes!" the blonde argued, pointing an accusatory finger at Karin.

Said reaper already had a towel around her while silently wiping her hair.

"At least she's conscious enough to cover herself!" Erza countered before looking at a wide-eyed Gray. "And you…"

The low growl from the redhead snapped the ice mage from his blissful trance. "Huh?"

"You dared to ogle a naked woman while she finished her shower."

It took a few seconds, but the apprentice of Ul eventually realized what he did. "Hold on, Erza!" Fear began creeping into his heart as the redheaded beast in front of him inched closer and closer. "It's not what you think!"

The female knight didn't want to hear any of his excuses. Gray was supposed to be the sensible one between him and Natsu and yet, the dragon slayer was smart enough to walk away.

Erza grabbed Gray's neck and began dragging the idiot away. "We're going to have a long talk about privacy, Gray. I also hope this will cure your stripping habits."

"Erza, please," the ice mage pleaded. "It was an accident! We heard some screaming and thought the girls were in trouble."

"Was it an accident then that you kept on staring at Lucy like some lecher?"

"No, please. I'm too young to die!"

Gray and Erza finally disappeared; the Ice-Make user received his punishment the furious Titania. Wendy was traumatized by the display of nudity. Carla did her best to get the girl to calm down. Natsu breathed a sigh of relief that he wasn't going to die via a metal fist. Lastly, Yuzu approached her twin whom she suspected to have done something mischievous.

"Really, sis?" The Quincy twin sounded exasperated.

"Hey, I thought it'd be funny," Karin replied cheekily.

Yuzu just sighed. "What am I going to do with you?"

"Don't know."

Yuzu's expression eventually turned serious. She also sensed the intruder but was confident her sister could drive the man away. "So, what did our late-night visitor want?"

"My best guess is Éclair," replied Karin now serious as well. "It was only a matter of time before trouble finds us."

"I know." Yuzu glanced at the girl before adding, "Whatever reason she's being hunted, the answers will be in the Boundary Forest."

Karin agreed. "It's no coincidence that the closer we are to our destination, another party is after her. I just hope we actually find some answers than just a dead end."

After the commotion got resolved, everyone went to their respective rooms and slept for the night. While most of them fell into a peaceful slumber, the twins were preparing themselves for whatever it is they may encounter. Based on their experiences, this encounter might be bigger than it seems.

A/N: ModernRogue11 here and Happy New Year! This chapter was supposed to be published during Christmas but got postponed. I decided to post this again on New Year but like last time, there was too much stuff to do for the Holidays so here we are - better late than never, I guess? With the Kurosaki family involved in this story, things may drastically change in the Phoenix Priestess storyline. This arc may reach up to three chapters at the most since I want to get into my original arc that sets up Tartaros and my OC Arrancars.

I'd like to thank all of you for your support. We're nearly reaching our third year with this fanfic and I have more plans in store for all of you my avid readers. Also, don't forget to look at my other fanfic that gained some traction, Of Heroes, Sorcerers, and Reapers. This is a triple crossover involving Bleach, My Hero Academia, and Jujutsu Kaisen.

As always, if you like the story, leave a like, and, if you have some comments or critiques, don't hesitate to leave your thoughts in the comment section. Your output is always welcome as long as it is constructive and would actually help in improving the overall narrative of the story.

Until next time.