The ship pulled close to the pier, and a few dock workers moved to tie it down while others immediately started loading it with food and supplies needed for the rest of its journey. The shipping containers had been lined up along the pier, awaiting the crane operator to transfer them to the ship's deck. The operator was solely focused upon the main hook, watching as a team was fastening the first container to be hoisted.
As such, no one noticed the sudden appearance of a vaguely humanoid figure at the very peak of the crane's tower. One could barely discern it as a dark shadow silhouetted in the midday sun, and had anyone been looking up, they may have seen the sun's light reflecting off the tip of the arrow now aimed at the fuel tanks of the ship.
Loud clangs were heard as several arrows pierced the tanks, refined fuel now spilling along the deck and into the water. Crewmen were scrambling to figure out how to fix the leaks, while security personnel were quickly dispatched to investigate the origins of the mysterious arrows. Eyes were searching along the tops of the surrounding cliffs, finding no one. Finally, someone thought to search the tower of the crane, finding a strangely clad man… horse?… about to release another arrow.
"There's an intruder on top of the crane!" cried one of the guards, "Fire your weapons! Take him down!"
Before a single weapon could be drawn, the arrow flew, whistling through the tense air, veering towards the hull of the ship. Some of the guards leered and scoffed as they saw where he'd aimed, wondering what kind of damage the archer thought he could do to a large ship with a mere arrow. It even failed to lodge into the hull, instead glancing off the anchor which hung on the side. Sparks flew as the arrow skidded across the metal, before ending its flight in the bottom of the river.
Mocking laughter soon gave way to shreeks and wails as the sparks landed, quickly igniting the spilled fuel which had spread all over the ship and along the dock. It was chaos as thick, dark plumes of smoke filled the air, and frightened crewmen jumped ship, swimming with all their might away from the fire engulfed vessel. The archer disappeared amid the confusion, and multitudes of traffickers came out of the den to discover what was going on.
Teams were formed to put out the flames, while others were sent to increase the security around the perimeter. Surely this was just the first wave of a daring attack by a large paramilitary force, or mercenaries, or even a vigilante group formed by local villagers finally fed up with the encroaching outsiders.
In all the noise, no one could hear as a large hole was torn into the bottom of one of the shipping containers. No one would be able to see as, one by one, a large group of tired, hungry, and extremely grateful people were ushered into the hole by a young girl with cat-like features, while another young girl led them through a newly made tunnel into freedom.
Most could walk, some supporting others who'd been trapped in the container for far too long. As soon as the last person was in the tunnel, a third young woman made quick work of covering the hole, making it impossible for any to follow. She then left the others to return to her master.
The tunnel followed a path which led to the surface, through a hole dug right into the cliff face situated along the bend of the river, among a bunch of low shrubbery. A modest sized cave had been constructed to house everyone, and to keep them hidden and protected. Once they'd reached safety, the two remaining girls would assess any who needed medical treatment, with one offering any first aid she could while the other would use her miraculous healing abilities to take care of any major injuries. From there, they would hold their posts, keeping guard over their newly freed charges until the danger had passed.
Meanwhile, amidst all the pandemonium taking place outside the cavern, it was a simple task for two strangers, and a flying cat, to sneak in with their escort, a large, imposing fellow who went by Godwin. Seeing the enforcer with the three, no one batted an eye at them, most assuming they were prospective buyers, or maybe new recruits.
"It was a good call touching that guy you ran into on the way out, Gemini," Lucy praised, "With Sagittarius' distraction, everyone's too involved with what's going on outside to pay any attention to us, especially when they see you here."
"Yeah, great job. So where do we go from here?" asked Natsu.
"We're not sure," said Gemini, "Godwin's more concerned with keeping order among the other traffickers, and roughing up the villagers when they get too nosy or defiant… Virgo is coming back."
Lucy nodded at Gemini's warning, pulling everyone into a dark alcove. Hidden from view, they waited for Virgo's arrival, feeling a weak tremor before the sound of displaced earth reached their ears. The frenzy taking place around them assured their continued concealment.
"Princess," Virgo began, "all the prisoners held in the shipping containers have been freed. Ladies Wendy and Carla are with them."
"That's good to hear," Lucy replied, "Now we just need to find the ones they're keeping in here, and we can get them to safety before Natsu lets loose on everyone."
"You're all gonna escape with them, cuz I'm not planning on holding back," Natsu assured darkly.
"Can't you just smell where they're being kept?"
"I can't sniff out people I've never met before. I'd need something that smells like them."
"Gemini can find them," suggested Virgo.
"We've already tried. Neither of the traffickers they've copied know where the prisoners are kept down here," said Lucy.
"We'll just have to copy someone who does," said Gemini.
Lucy considered that idea. It could work. If they did that, though, the three previous persons they'd copied would be erased. They'd have to secure all of Russel's notes and records before Natsu got to work, since all his memories will have disappeared from Gemini's mind by then. They'd also lose their escort. Lucy had a stray thought of how the third set of memories, those belonging to Gray from that night, would also be lost. She couldn't help but to feel a small sense of relief at that thought.
"Tell us where those documents are first. Now that Sagittarius has returned to the Celestial World, I can send someone to gather what they can while the rest of us rescue the prisoners."
"Sounds like we've got a plan. Let's go. I'm all fired up."
ooooo
There was a rumble of what sounded like thunder in the distance, almost completely muffled by the thickly packed earth above. Erza knew there was no more rain in the forecast, and suspected the other team had started their assault. They needed to hurry with their part of the plan.
"What dumbass digs tunnels so close to ground water?" murmured Gray.
Erza nearly jumped at the sudden, if quiet, intrusion into the prolonged silence of their journey. Of all the things they should rightfully be discussing right now, why would the presence of groundwater be utmost on his mind?
"It's a miracle the floor's never collapsed beneath them," he continued.
Almost certain he was talking more to himself, Erza asked, just as quietly, "How do you know about the water?"
Without missing a beat, he answered, "The ground's become soft, sandy. The air is humid, and there's loose gravel everywhere."
Erza was a little annoyed when he offered no further detail— how did those things point to the existence of water below them?—but she put that aside in favor of a another curiosity.
"Why do you even know about something like that?"
Because the requirement of such a skill wasn't something expected in their line of work. Guild wizards weren't often consulted when a community was trying to dig a well.
He didn't answer, and she didn't press him further, reasoning he was too deeply concentrating on leading them through the darkness.
She noticed a shift in the air, a welcomed draft, telling her they were nearing the end of their journey through this passage. The path had steadily risen in an incline. The damp coolness was giving way to a drier warmth as they neared the surface. At long last, she could see dim light streaming from the narrow gaps between several boards, which covered a large hole in the basement subfloor. Gray felt the changes around him, but didn't see the light. He didn't need to.
He stopped short of the wall at the end of the tunnel, collapsed his cane and tucked it into his belt against his back, and listened. Erza stood close, taking in what she could in the still silence. There was the soft creak of movement on the floorboards above, the sound of pacing, and muffled voices from what sounded like another room. They stayed there, unmoving, the wait growing more tense, and the urge to move increasing with Erza's impatience.
"A surprise attack is called for," she whispered, "We'll burst through the trapdoor, and take out the hostiles as we work our way through the house. They'll be too distracted and confused to even think about hurting the hostages if we strike quickly enough. Once we find them, you should stay and protect them while I deal with whoever's left of the smugglers."
"We can't guarantee the mom or kids won't panic, and get caught in the crossfire. Also, these guys know what they're doing. It only takes one level head to figure out what's going on. It's likely they have orders to take out the hostages at the first sign of trouble."
Once again, Erza had to defer to his expertise in the matter. She may have worked with Jellal in taking on the underworld for a season, but other than a few dead-drops and some brief exchanges of ill-gotten contraband or intel, she'd never had to really interact with anyone from that life. Meanwhile, Gray had worked deep down in the trenches for months. She loathed to find out all he'd actually seen and done during that time.
"What do you propose?"
"We knock out everyone in the house. The smugglers, the hostages, everyone. Then we move in, gather the family, and take them somewhere safe before we join the others at the den."
"You wish to knock them out before we enter? That'd be ideal if we could actually pull it off."
"I heard no objection in those words," he said as he started forming ice, allowing it to flow into all the spaces and gaps in the trapdoor. Soon, the dim light from before was heavily filtered, barely noticeable now.
"What are you doing?"
"Filling all the gaps in the ceiling."
She watched as he kneeled to the ground and brought his hands together. Perhaps she was allowing him a lot of leeway, given how he'd been absent from jobs for so long, so he's grown lax in proper mission etiquette. Or maybe his manner projected so much confidence, she felt secure that he at least seemed to know what he was doing. Either way, time was running short, and she was eager to act. Also, her annoyance at his insolence in implementing his idea without further debate wasn't nearly as earnest as her curiosity in how he planned to do it.
"Why are you sealing the door?"
"I've sealed the whole house. It's airtight now."
"You plan to suffocate them?!" she whisper-shouted, perplexed, "That could take hours, not to mention someone will know something's wrong when everyone's suddenly short of breath."
"Shhh. I have to concentrate on this."
She held off more concerns for now. What was he concentrating on, if the house was already completely sealed? Usually once his spells were cast, it required little thought to keep them going.
After a few minutes, she noticed the movements above had slowed to a light shuffle. Conversations started to lull. Hearing him breathe out a deep sigh, she wondered if he was done with whatever he was doing.
"Everything's set. Don't worry. It'll only take a few more minutes. They'll be too drowsy and confused to understand what's going on."
"What exactly did you do?"
He shifted his legs out from under him, but stayed seated, choosing to lean against the wall, resting his head against it as he waited for whatever he'd set into motion to work. She wondered if he kept his eyes closed still because he was worried he'd run out of magic too soon, or if his blindness had become a force of habit, or maybe a strange comfort for him now. Was it her place to ask him about it, especially considering his cold attitude earlier?
"Do you know what happens when you cool down nitrogen?"
Blinking at such a strangely random question, she answered no.
"The air we breathe is almost eighty percent nitrogen. It's inert, meaning it doesn't help us, but it doesn't harm us either. If you freeze it, however, it becomes more dense, collecting lower to the ground, and displacing the rest of the air, including the oxygen. That's why I sealed the trapdoor. We don't need it seeping down here. Everyone should be feeling tired by now."
It took a moment for Erza to notice how his demeanor had completely shifted from what she'd had to deal with since that disturbing performance earlier. He seemed more relaxed now, not distracted like before, and his willingness to talk now was a welcome reprieve from the otherwise tense silence. Even when he was mute, the lack of sound hadn't been so unnerving. She was more than happy to indulge in a little conversation before the action was to begin.
"That's amazing, but how are you freezing only the nitrogen?"
"It's no different from freezing just the ethernano I use for my spells. I isolate a single element, and let the magic do the rest."
"You're isolating a single element out of all the others out there?!"
"Out of all the known elements, yes. Maker magic is a very precise discipline. You have to know your chosen element inside and out. Master Ur was a very harsh, demanding teacher, but a thorough one too. She made damn sure we learned everything she tried to instill in us, and then some. If we couldn't teach it right back to her, she'd teach it to us again, then beat the crap out of us for our lack of attention the first time around," he finished with a nostalgic grin.
"I had no idea there were so many things you had to know for your particular skill."
"Hmm. It's why Laki knows so much about botany and carpentry. You're no exception either. You know a lot about swordsmanship and weapons skills, as well as a fair amount of metallurgy and related subjects."
"That's true. So your master must have taught you everything there is to know about ice."
"… I do know a great deal about ice, but a lot of that was self taught, unfortunately."
"I know. I'm sorry you had so little time with her."
"She was amazing. But thanks to her, I had an appreciation for learning new things, and was able to figure stuff out on my own."
Reminded of earlier, she asked, "Is that why you know how to find ground water? Because of your love of learning?"
Her good humor lessened when he didn't respond right away. She could discern a change in his mood. He seemed confused for a brief moment, almost distressed? Was this a sensitive topic or—
"I... I don't know. I must have picked it up at some point," then with a brief chortle, attempting to ease her concern, "Been working since I was eight, you know. Kids are sponges, soaking up knowledge. Probably forgot a lot of things over the years."
Returning a grin, she teased, "You sound like an old man right now." Happy to hear him snicker, she continued, "Still, Ur would have been proud. You are a man of many talents. I've yet to meet your equal when it comes to controlling ice."
"Hmph. On that note, you might be surprised to learn I'm not technically an ice wizard."
"What?! That makes no sense. Your magic has everything to do with ice."
"You're not wrong, but—"
*THUMP*
He was interrupted when the first body hit the floor.
"H-hey… you alr… alright… man…"
Another thump was heard, followed by a few more. Some creaks of movement were heard from a floor above, likely others following suit. Gray waved his hand, causing the ice filling the gaps in the floor to disappear.
"I've cancelled the spells. The ice is gone, and the air should be righting itself now. Give it another minute for the oxygen to settle. It's pretty pathetic watching an idiot rush in before I give the signal."
Erza eyed him wearily.
"You've done this before."
He nodded, saying, "I've had to play that card more than once to avoid needless bloodshed."
He chose not to elaborate more, and by this point, Erza felt no desire to ask. As they waited, she heard a soft click, one she recognized as that of Gray checking his tactile watch; followed by his clothes rustling, then the sound of paper tearing. She could just barely see his form in the dim light peeking through the cracks, but couldn't tell what he was doing. Before she could wonder aloud, he spoke up.
"You want a protein bar?"
"... You know I prefer to go into a fight on an empty stomach. You're actually trying to eat now? How can you be hungry at a time like this?"
"I'm not, but who knows when I'll get another chance? It's almost one o'clock. I'm off my schedule."
"Off your... Oh shoot! I completely forgot about your— Do you have them? How late are you? Are you in any pain? Are you nauseous? You should sit this out and let me handle this. Dammit, I should have taken your condition into account—"
"—Erza, I'm just taking my meds. I'm not on maternity leave."
"You need to take this seriously!"
"I'm deadly serious," he answered, voice low and somber.
That sense of awkwardness returned, and as she watched him dry swallow the dose of pills he always kept on hand, she had to admit that he seemed to be handling their present situation better than she thought he had any right to. Was that where she was in the wrong? Where had she gotten the notion that she had to watch Gray's every move, to be ready to step in when things went south? Had she not stood by his side as he trained to the point of exhaustion every day, adapting to and surpassing his limitations, so he could return to this very way of life? This is what they'd all wanted, what they'd helped him train for. Why was she so full of doubt now?
Or was it guilt that still plagued her? She'd chosen this mission that had become more than what they'd bargained for. But while she kept looking for reasons to protect him, he kept surpassing everyone's expectations, pulling his own weight and bringing more to the table than any had foreseen from him. She needed to stop seeing him as the frail, injured, and frightened man she'd found in that underground chamber.
Contritely, she replied, "I know you are. I'm sorry for worrying."
"You don't need to be sorry for worrying. It's nice having others who'd worry about me," he assured, "Let's just agree to worry about each other, and trust that we'll have each other's backs. Deal?"
She was happy to agree.
"Deal."
"Good. It's time. After you."
"Always the gentleman."
Without a need to say so, both returned to a state of readiness, Erza requipping a short dagger as she slowly pushed the boards away. There was no sound. Knowing the building was secured, they hurriedly searched for the missing family.
They found a locked room upstairs, the two guards lying unconscious at the door a welcomed sight. That meant they had to be in there, right? Erza prayed they hadn't been moved again.
She breathed a sigh of relief when they found a middle aged woman curled around three children, two girls and a young boy, all ranging in age from toddler to early teens. Gray donned his sunglasses, not wanting to scare the kids, and softly nudged the boy while Erza tried to rouse the mother. She soon came to, blinking confusedly as she tried to collect her bearings. She flinched away, looking around frantically, and panicked when she saw Gray raising her son to a sitting position.
"Please don't hurt him! We've done everything you've asked!"
Erza held her back, easily overpowering her, while the two girls stirred from the sounds of their mother's frantic pleas. The boy, the middle child, opened weary eyes, finding a man he didn't recognize from among the smugglers holding him up. He did look vaguely familiar, but he couldn't remember from where.
"Don't be scared. My name's Gray. What's yours?"
Shyly, the boy replied, "Ulysses, but everyone calls me Uly."
With a tiny pang of sorrow mixed with a bit of ironic humor, Gray smiled softly, saying, "That's an awesome name, Uly. We're from Fairy Tail. We came to save you."
Upon hearing his words, the mother calmed down, still wary, but feeling no threat or ill intentions from these two, unlike the malicious aura the smugglers had all exuded from their very pores.
"Fairy Tail?" she breathed. She knew of that guild. Everyone knew of them. Their village may have been tiny, but being situated so close to Magnolia, various guild members have passed through their streets from time to time. Of course, who could also forget the fact that these two in particular were quite well known, both bearing the title of—
"*Gasp!* You're the pretty knight from the games!" cried the eldest.
Now the others remembered. These two were champions of the Grand Magic Games. How had fortune smiled upon them so brightly, that wizards of such high caliber would be sent to rescue them? How had they come so quickly? Their captors had enjoyed nothing more than to torment them with how hopeless their situation was, that the villagers were powerless, and that no help would ever come.
"Mama?"
The mother looked towards her youngest child, who was rubbing her eyes as she took in what was happening, held protectively in Erza's arms.
"It's alright. They're here to save us," she said quietly. Then, with breath hitching and her eyes tearing up, she repeated, "They're here to take us home!"
As Erza released the little girl to hurry to her mom, the boy, Uly, looked at Gray in awe. Just like all his friends, he was completely enthralled with Fairy Tail, and dreamed of joining the guild one day. His eyes darted about, studying Gray from head to toe, drawing the mage's curiosity.
"What are you looking for?" Gray asked.
Not abashed at all at having his eagerness called out, the boy asked excitedly, "Can I see your guild mark?"
Before his mother could chide him for being rude, Gray offered a small grin and undid a couple of buttons, pulling his collar aside to proudly show off his mark. He'd missed doing that! Erza was relieved, and happy, to see Gray's positive reaction to what she'd thought would be an insensitive request.
Uly's eyes widened in excitement. He'd never seen one up close before, and he couldn't help but to reach out to touch the mark. If Gray hadn't been watching to see the boy's enthusiasm, he'd never have known he was being touched. Again, he didn't seem to mind the intrusion, and Erza was reminded of how at ease he's always been around children. She wished they could continue the light pleasantries, but they had to get this family to safety before the traffickers started coming around. She was about to urge everyone along when Gray suddenly grabbed Uly's hand.
Everyone jumped at his sudden action, while Erza took a step forward, wondering if she'd miscalculated Gray's comfort level, when he pulled the boy's sleeve up, exposing what she could now see had angered him so much.
The boy wore a cuff locked around his wrist, one made of sealing stone.
"You can use magic?" Erza asked. Uly looked to be around eight or nine years old, so she wouldn't be surprised if his powers had manifested by now.
"Those people sensed magic in him, but he's never used it before," cried the mother, Dellah, as Uly crawled into her arms, "They said… they said they were going to take him away with all the others."
"Others!?" exclaimed Erza. So they were specifically trafficking wizards?
No. She became more angered as the revelation came to her.
They wanted potential wizards. Young children who were easy to control, easy to train, easy to force into servitude, with the added benefit of having not yet learned a specific magic. They were a clean slate, on which their masters could forced whatever powers they'd want them to learn, regardless of the inherent dangers.
"Yes," said the eldest child, Lanna, "They said they took us to make our dad do what they say, but I don't think they ever planned to let any of us go home."
"Your father thought as much. He took a great risk in communicating what was really going on here, but a brave one too. I promise we will do everything within our power to reunite you all with him soon," Erza swore.
Turning to Gray, her mind was already focused on all the tasks needed to complete the mission, coming up with contingencies should anything stand in their way, and mentally mapping the layout of the house. The others didn't know him well enough to gauge his mood from body language alone, nor could they see his eyes to notice the anger within their depths, of how clouded over they were as he stared blankly ahead.
"Gray?"
When Erza directed her voice towards him, that cloud dissipated instantly, leaving no one aware that his mind had wandered elsewhere; still here, and aware of the conversations and happenings, but with something more superimposed over that awareness.
He blinked, sensing nothing amiss, except for the trouble he was having in shaking off the indignant anger he was feeling over what this family had gone through. For the briefest moment, it felt like he was feeling more than his own outrage; as if he held a personal stake in the outcome of this mission. But who wouldn't take the brazen act of child slavery personally?
"It's time to move out," said Erza.
No longer distracted, Gray took Uly's bound hand, and flash froze the small locking mechanism in the manacle. Before it even clattered to the floor, he moved to pick up the youngest, Charis, who couldn't be older than two. What lowlife would dare harm such a precious thing as this little girl, just to force her father's hand?
Erza led them through the hallway, edging around the still fallen culprits, assisting any who showed signs of waking up into continued slumber with a quick knock to their heads. So far, so good. Once they got outside, Dellah would hopefully recognize where they were, and could direct them to the quickest way towards the village square.
Peaking out the window, Erza saw no sign of the enemy. Still cautious, she stepped out the door, keeping the family shielded behind her, knowing Gray would cover them from the rear. All was quiet.
"It looks like the coast is clear. Dellah-san, do you know where we are?"
"This is an older neighborhood, north of the market district I think. I can see the church's bell tower from here. We should head that way. Our home isn't far from there."
"Okay. I want all of you to stay between Gray and me. We'll move swiftly, so if you and your daughter could carry the little ones—"
"—Erza, incoming!"
She turned to see Gray handing Charis off to Lanna while his gaze was focused somewhere over her shoulder. Looking back, she saw no one there. At no point did she doubt him though. She knew sensing the approach of magical signatures has become second nature to him, and tuned her own focus towards the same, now picking up a single mage quickly moving in.
"Change of plans," she began, "You four will follow Gray to the village square, and from there to home. Hopefully, the traffickers won't try anything in a crowded market. I'll take care of the mage and follow behind—"
A high pitched whine could be heard, and Erza's eyes went wide.
"Gray!"
"Ice Make: Shield!"
The children screamed as they ducked underneath each other, Dellah hovering over them all. They felt the sudden onset of cold as four massive ice shields manifested, the sides overlapping as if forming a large flower bud around them. Other than a small opening at the very top, there was no gap between the shields. Dellah and Uly braved to look through the crystal clear ice, the outside blurred, but distinguishable. They flinched away, hiding their faces and instinctively covering their heads as a number of energy blasts, along with actual bullets, impacted against the ice. Everyone within screamed, but the ice held.
Erza, crouched behind her requipped shield, looked to the side to see Gray, who had his arms outstretched as he maintained his spells. He stood tall behind his own shield, breathing heavily from the exertion of having cast so many spells, so quickly, at once. He stumbled back, still on his feet, but leaning his hands against his knees as he tried to catch his breath.
"There are more than one assailant," Erza observed, "Unless they've some way to hide their magic signatures, none of the others are mages. We can't risk making a run for it, not without endangering the family. How are you holding up?"
"The sooner we can deal with the assholes shooting at us, the happier I'll be."
"If you can keep your shields up a little longer, I'll make short work of our attackers."
"Have you pinpointed the mage yet?" he wondered as he straightened up to face her.
"Not yet. I know they're near, but they must be hiding somewhere among all the houses and trees."
There lay the dilemma, and he knew Erza saw it too. In a perfect world, the mage would be their priority target, and the two of them combined could have defeated them easily.
In a perfect world, they wouldn't have innocents in the crossfire. They wouldn't have to worry about splitting their forces, because both of them would have been up to the task. They wouldn't have to contend with a mission they weren't prepared for.
They wouldn't have to worry about Gray's magic failing him.
This wasn't a perfect world, and though it made the most sense for Erza to take on the mage, Gray couldn't provide the cover she'd need to fight unimpeded, against a constant rain of gunfire. He could, however, maintain the small number of shields he'd formed over Rhein's family. She'd have to believe they were strong enough to stand against the enemy mage's attacks. If she was quick enough, she could defeat the gunmen, and hopefully return before Gray's defenses would fall.
Nodding resignedly, Gray closed his eyes, keeping them closed as he felt the drain on his magic slow minusculely, weighing his options of whether he could afford to go into this fight without sight, or if the little magic he saved was worth the disadvantage. He was confident in his skills, but he'd only sparred with his friends in all this time. He knew their strengths and weaknesses, and understood their powers and techniques intimately, and could easily adapt to anything they could throw at him.
He didn't even know what the enemy's powers were.
"I'll keep the shields up as long as I can. Be careful, but try to hurry. That Ice Phalanx earlier took a huge chunk of my stores. These shields will sap the rest before too long."
"I can leave some of my own if that would allow you to release one or two of yours."
Shaking his head, he replied, "It takes more ethernano to create something than to maintain it. If something happens to your shields, I'd have to create more, and I can't guarantee I'd be able to. Besides, we don't know how many gunmen there are. You need all your shields. Go. We're wasting time."
Hearing the strained impatience in his voice, she hummed in acknowledgement, drew her sword, took up her shield, and ran into the fray.
Because you asked for it, here's a sparkly new chapter for you to enjoy! I hope it was worth the wait. A peak into some upcoming action-filled scenes, and a bit of exposition, because I love moments of Gray and Erza just being bro's. Also, who's excited about the anime's return? I've read the manga, and as a Gray fan... there could be more. Don't want to spoil, but it is what it is. I look forward to hearing the new theme song, though. Fairy Tail always delivers on its OSTs!
Here's hoping the next update won't be months away again. I'm looking towards the next chapter coming out in July at least. Hand's doing better. Still not used to using my other thumb for the space bar. Such a minor thing, but it feels so weird!
Next Chapter: Natsu and company pull off a jail break!