Mirajane jolted awake as her bedroom door crashed open. She blinked rapidly, trying to clear her blurry vision while pulling her blanket closer.
"I told you to stay out of people's room!" Wendy's voice thundered through the doorway. "How many times do I have to-"
Wendy's tirade cut off abruptly as she properly took in the scene. Her puffed-up cheeks deflated when she realized Mirajane was alone, with no sign of Kai anywhere.
"Oh," Wendy said, her expression dissolving into embarrassment. "I... I thought..."
Mira sat up in bed, rubbing sleep from her eyes. "Wendy? What's going on?"
"I can't find Kai," Wendy explained, "He was sleeping by the window. You know how he is - needs a quick escape route and all that."
Mirajane nodded. After joining Fairy Tail, Kai had maintained certain habits from his old days, including sleeping in defensible positions or whatever way he liked to call it.
"When I couldn't find him there, I thought..." Wendy tried finding her words.
"You thought he sneaked into my room?" Mirajane couldn't help but laugh.
"I know, I know. It was silly." Wendy shuffled her feet. "I just got worried when he wasn't in his spot."
"Have you checked the roof?" Mirajane asked, already knowing Kai's other favorite spots.
"That's the thing - I've looked everywhere." Wendy's worry crept back into her voice.
Before she could voice any more of her concern, Erza appeared in Mirajane's doorway, still in her sleeping outfit.
"Has anyone seen Gray?" Erza asked.
The three women exchanged glances as silence settled over the room. Mirajane pulled her blanket tighter around herself, trying to sound casual.
"Maybe they went for an early morning walk?" she suggested.
Erza raised an eyebrow. "Gray? Early?" She crossed her arms. "Really ?"
Another heavy silence fell between them as everthing sank in. Two guild members missing at the same time, both capable fighters, both involved in recent events.
"We need to wake the others," Erza declared, already turning toward the door.
Wendy nodded, rushing out as well. "I'll get Lucy and Natsu!"
"I'll dress quickly and alert Master," Mirajane said, throwing off her covers.
They scattered in different directions. The coincidence of both Gray and Kai missing felt too suspicious to ignore, especially after everything that had happened recently.
The Fairy Tail members rushed to the council prison. Their first surprise came around quickly, standing in front of the empty cell.
"What the hell?" Natsu pressed his face against the bars. "How's it empty? They were right here!"
Lucy smacked him lightly on the back of the head. "Obviously they escaped somehow, Natsu."
A few feet away, Erza spoke with two guards, her expression growing serious. "You're certain about this?"
"Yes, ma'am," one guard nodded. "Two Fairy Tail wizards came by late last night. One had dark hair, shirtless. The other wore a black sleeveless hoodie."
"That's them alright," Lucy muttered.
The second guard added, "They barely stayed five minutes. Just checked the cells and bolted out like they'd seen a ghost."
Mirajane stood back, arms crossed as she pieced together the puzzle. "Gray and Kai must have come to check on Jasper and the others," she said. "When they found the cells empty, they probably tried rushing back to warn us at the inn."
"But they never made it," Erza finished, rejoining the group.
"Which means something happened between here and there," Wendy concluded.
The empty cells offered no clues - no signs of forced entry, no magical residue, nothing to indicate how the prisoners had vanished. They had only one thing left to do - look around for any clues of Gray and Kai's disparition.
Everyone splitted up through the city, each taking different routes between the prison and their inn. Natsu and Lucy covered the main streets while Erza took the market district. Mirajane flew overhead in her Satan Soul form, scanning the alleys from above with Happy.
Wendy and Carla worked through the narrow back streets, the young dragon slayer using her senses to search for any trace of their missing friends.
"Anything yet?" Carla asked, hovering beside her.
Wendy shook her head, but then froze. Something glinted in the morning sun, catching her eye on the stone street. She rushed forward and knelt down.
"Carla, look!" Wendy carefully picked up Gray's silver cross necklace, the chain broken as if it had been yanked off. Next to where it had fallen lay a folded piece of paper.
"Everyone!" Wendy called out, her voice carrying through the streets. "I found something!"
Within minutes, the others converged on her location. Natsu arrived first, skidding to a stop beside her while Lucy and the others followed close behind.
"That's Gray's," Lucy confirmed, looking at the necklace in Wendy's palm.
"And there's this too," Wendy held up the folded note, still untouched where she'd found it.
Natsu picked up the note, unfolding it and reading it in his mind. His hands began to tremble, and flames started flickering around his clenched fists. The paper crumpled as his grip tightened, threatening to ignite.
"Natsu?" Lucy placed a gentle hand on his arm. "What does it say?"
But Natsu's face had transformed into a mask of pure rage, his teeth grinding together as the temperature around him rose dramatically. Small wisps of smoke curled from the edges of the paper.
"Natsu, calm down," Lucy urged, slowly setting her hand behind his head. "We need that note dear."
Erza stepped forward, smoothly extracting the paper from his grip before it could burst into flames. Her eyes scanned the message quickly, her expression hardening with each line.
"They have Gray and Kai," she announced, her voice cold. "They're planning to use them to strengthen their Morph Magic." She looked up at the others, eyes filling with the same rage. "There's an address listed here - they're inviting us to collect their bodies once they're done."
Gasps erupted around the group. Wendy's eyes widened with horror, while Mirajane's expression transformed into something darker. Gajeel and Laxus, who had just arrived at the scene, took in the grim information with stern faces.
"It's obviously a trap," Laxus stated, crossing his arms. "They're trying to bring us dragon slayers in."
Gajeel nodded, his metal-studded face twisted in a scowl. "Using our own as bait. Real classy."
"But we can't just leave them!" Wendy protested, still clutching Gray's necklace.
"No one's suggesting that," Mirajane placed a gentle hand on Wendy's shoulder, "But we need to be smart about it. We don't have Kai this time"
Gray's consciousness returned slowly, followed by a pounding headache that felt like Natsu had used his skull for target practice. He squinted, waiting for his double vision to merge into something coherent, the stone floor beneath him feeling cold and damp.
A groan to his left caught his attention. Kai sat propped against the wall, massaging his temples with cuffed hands. The lightning mage looked about as rough as Gray felt, his black hoodie covered in dirt.
Both wizards took in their surroundings. Metal bars formed one wall of their cell, the others three solid stone with no windows. A single torch burned in a bracket outside. The guard stationed outside stood rigid, back turned to them, showing no reaction to their awakening.
Gray tested the cuffs around his wrists. Despite their solid appearance, he could still feel his magic flowing freely. A quick glance at Kai showed he had noticed the same thing.
Kai shuffled closer to Gray, keeping his voice low. "No clue where we are, but we should get out. Fast."
Gray gave a subtle nod. He slowly got up, taking a few steps forward toward the cell bars. Drawing on his magic, he channeled a precise burst of power. The cuffs cracked and gave away, a quick smirk crossing his face as he reached through the bars.
The guard stood motionless when Gray tapped the man's shoulder. As the guard spun around, surprised, Gray's hand shot forward. His palm connected with the guard's face, accompanied by a flash of ice magic. Gray's satisfied smirk widened as frost spread rapidly across the guard's body.
In seconds, he transformed into a human ice sculpture, frozen solid from head to toe. He toppled sideways, hitting the ground with a dull sound.
Kai got to his feet, brushing dirt off his hoodie while staring at the frozen guard. "You're spending way too much time with Natsu," He declared, "Such elegance in that exit" he mocked, before forcing the way out of the cell, bending and zapping the metal bars like they were nothing.
Gray shot him an annoyed look, following. "Got us out, didn't it? And hey you can talk !" taking a glance at the now smoking cell bars.
They made their way through the dim corridors, their casual conversation echoed off the stone walls as they dealt with a few obstacles.
"So, purple eyes guy," Gray said, icing another guard without breaking his pace. "Last thing we saw before ending up here"
Kai nodded, sending a spark that knocked out two guards at once. "Never seen him before. But those scrolls he mentioned are definitely my mother's magic."
"Eleven scrolls," Gray's voice lowered, turning a corner. "That's.."
"More than I currently have" Kai's voice hardened, remembering the state he was in when he heard those words. "He also is the guy who gave Finn that crap magic."
They found a spiral staircase leading upward. Following it up, they emerged into bright daylight that made them squint after the darkness below.
What they saw made them stop dead in their tracks. They stood at the edge of an enormous courtyard, surrounded by a sprawling estate that seemed to stretch for acres. A mansion that could rival any noble's residence dominated the landscape, its architecture both elegant and imposing. Smaller buildings lined perfectly on either side.
In the center of it all stood a massive fountain, water cascading down multiple tiers. The scale of everything around them seemed impossible - this wasn't just a hideout, this was an entire compound.
"Well," Gray said dryly, "I'm guessing this is where they experiment Morph things"
Kai ran a hand through his blond hair. "This is absolute madness," he muttered, "If all of this is dedicated to Morph magic research..."
Gray watched as Kai' searched for his words.
"I knew we weren't dealing with a small group," Kai continued, pacing along the edge of the courtyard. "But this? This is an entire operation. There must be dozens, maybe hundreds of people working here." He gestured at the various buildings. "We don't even know where to start"
The Fairy Tail rescue team trudged along a dusty road, footsteps kicking up small clouds of dry earth. The sun beat down as they made their way through unfamiliar territory.
"This is taking forever!" Natsu complained, flames practically shooting from his mouth in frustration. "We should be running! Gray and Kai could be in trouble right now!"
"Natsu," Erza's stern voice cut through his protests. "We're heading to the far eastern region of Fiore. If we exhaust ourselves getting there, we won't be any help to them at all."
Lucy wiped sweat from her forehead, nodding in agreement. "Erza's right. Besides, both Gray and Kai are strong."
"Indeed," Erza continued, "I've fought both of them. They're resourceful and capable. They'll manage to stay safe until we reach them."
Wendy walked alongside Carla, clutching Gray's broken necklace. "But what if they're hurt? Or their magic is sealed?"
"Have faith in them," Carla advised, her wings spread. "Those two are quite stubborn when it comes to staying alive."
Gray and Kai moved cautiously through a massive building, sunlight filtering through gaps in the wooden slats.
"This place is huge," Gray muttered, his eyes scanning the rafters above. "But there's nothing here."
Kai nodded, hands tucked in his pockets. "Looks like an old barn." He kicked at some straw on the ground. Old farm equipment lay scattered in corners, covered in cobwebs and rust.
"Kind of weird though," Gray said, running his hand along a weathered support beam. "Everything else we saw looked new and maintained. Why keep this old thing standing?"
"Could be anything at this point," Kai replied, examining the walls.
A maniacal laugh echoed through the barn, causing both Gray and Kai to freeze. They knew that laugh - it belonged to Jasper.
The small figure emerged from behind a wall, his massive red nose and clownish appearance contrasting with the rustic setting. He skipped forward, hands clasped together in excitement.
"Welcome, welcome!" Jasper squealed with childish delight. "My wonderful guests have arrived at our magnificent domain!" He twirled in place, gesturing grandly at their surroundings. "We must treat you with the utmost hospitality! After all, you're our special guests! This is so fun!"
Gray's response was swift. An ice spear materialized and shot through the air, missing Jasper's head by mere inches. The projectile embedded itself in the wooden wall behind him.
Jasper didn't even flinch. His wide grin remained plastered across his face as splinters of wood fell around him.
"We're not here to be anyone's guests," Gray declared coldly, his stance ready for combat. "And we're definitely not staying for whatever twisted hospitality you're offering."
Kai stepped forward, "We've caught you twice already, Jasper. Third time will only be easier." Lightning crackled around his fingers.
Jasper's high-pitched laugh bounced off the barn walls. "Oh, that's where you're wrong, my sparky friend!" He hopped from one foot to the other with erratic movements. "If you refuse our hospitality, then you force me to make you accept it!"
His attitude suddenly shifted, face twisting into something darker and more menacing. "You see, last time we met, I didn't possess morph magic." His voice dropped an octave. "But now..."
Kai's eyes widened. This wasn't the same opponent they'd faced before - this was someone who now wielded one of the most dangerous magics known. The rules had changed completely.
"He's already acquired it," Kai muttered, his previous confidence wavering. "This is a totally different fight."
"Who cares?" Gray snarled, his stance widening as ice magic gathered around his fists. "Time to smash some clown" He charged forward, unleashing a barrage of ice lances that streaked through the air.
Jasper giggled, and with a wave of his hand, flames erupted from nowhere, melting Gray's ice instantly. Before he could react, earth pillars shot up from the ground, forcing him to leap backward.
Kai stepped in, azure lightning crackling around his mouth. "Thunder Hawk Screech!" he shouted, releasing a piercing burst of sound and electricity that lit up the old barn.
Jasper's smile never wavered as he gestured again. A massive wall of water materialized, absorbing the lightning attack completely. The water dissipated into mist, revealing Jasper's unchanged position.
Gritting his teeth, Kai raised his hand. Blue electric feathers formed above him, swirling in an deadly pattern. "Storm Feathers: Piercing Rain!" The electrified feathers rained down on Jasper.
With another theatrical wave, the small clown created a dome of pure magical energy that deflected every single feather. The attacks scattered harmlessly across the barn floor, fizzling out into nothing.
Jasper's childish grin twisted again. "We warned you," he said, his voice carrying an edge of mockery. "Morph magic can create any element, any form, any spell, everything." He spread his arms wide, different types of magic swirling around him in a display of power.
Kai clicked his tongue in frustration as Gray stepped in front of him.
"This is my fight," Gray declared firmly, his eyes fixed on Jasper's twisted grin. "You should be looking for that purple-eyed bastard. Find him, smack his face, get those scrolls back, and end this morph magic nonsense once and for all."
"No way," Kai replied sharply, lightning still crackling around his fingers. "I'm not leaving you alone with-"
Gray turned his head slightly, fixing Kai with a pointed look that stopped him mid-sentence. "Are you serious right now?" His voice carried a hint of frustration. "You still don't trust me?"
Kai's jaw clenched tight. The barn creaked around them. "Of course I trust you," Kai whispered. He took a step back, lightning gathering around his body. "Just... be careful. We still don't know that magic's limits."
Without waiting for a response, he disappeared in a flash of blue, leaving Gray alone to face the manically grinning clown.
Gray stretched his arms lazily, rolling his shoulders, before a confident smirk spread across his own face.
"You know what" he asked, casually dropping his shirt to the floor. "I've never been a big fan of circus acts. Especially not creepy little clowns who think they're something special just because they learned a new trick."
Ice started forming around his feet, spreading outward in a delicate pattern across the barn floor.
"That morph magic might be impressive," Gray continued, his smirk widening, "But I haven't forgotten about that little possession you did on me, and I think it's about time for your curtain call."
He cracked his knuckles. "So how about that : we skip the warm-up act and get straight to the part where I turn you into a clown popsicle"
Kai zigzagged through the area in rapid bursts of lightning, each flash taking him closer to his target. Buildings blurred past as he moved, but his eyes remained locked on the huge manor looming in the distance. If the purple-eyed man was anywhere, he'd be there - probably surrounded by his collection of stolen scrolls.
Despite the size of the facility, security seemed oddly… Inexistant. His sprint came to an abrupt halt when he reached a massive fountain - the structure was breathtaking, easily three stories tall, with water cascading down multiple tiers in intricate patterns. Carved animals or whatever drawings they were supposed to be, adorned each level.
Kai's eyes moved past the fountain, taking in the imposing manor that rose behind it. The building's dark stone walls stretched upward. He was getting closer.
Just as he prepared to move forward, a soft scraping sound caught his attention from behind.
Kai spun, electricity ready - and found himself staring into familiar purple eyes. The man who took them stood there, a slight smile playing across his features.
"I must admit, you and your friend didn't waste any time escaping," the man said. "Though that was precisely what I wanted. It's much easier to deal with you separately."
He took a casual step forward, hands clasped behind his back. "I suppose proper introductions are in order, since we'll be spending quite some time together. I am Viktor Tharn, though most know me simply as the Collector." He gave a slight bow, never breaking eye contact. "I've been following your work for quite some time, Kai Dawson. Or should I say... Blue Bird?"
At the name, Kai reacted instantly, releasing an electrical pulse that crackled in a perfect circle around him. Viktor paused in his advance, though his smile never wavered - he merely raised an eyebrow.
Kai didn't waste time with words. He lunged forward, his fist crackling as three massive arcs of blue lightning formed into deadly claws. "Kirin's Claw!" The attack was aimed directly at Viktor's chest.
Viktor's purple eyes flashed. With a casual wave of his hand, morph magic shimmered and dispersed Kai's attack like it was nothing more than smoke.
Skidding back, Kai immediately opened his mouth. "Thunder Hawk Screech!" The piercing wave of sound and electricity blasted forward, but Viktor deflected it just as easily, the attack dissipating against an invisible barrier.
Frustration building, Kai launched into a series of lightning-fast strikes. Each movement flowed like water, his magic dancing around him. He darted in and out, striking from multiple angles. Lightning trailed behind his movements like the wings of a bird in flight.
But Viktor stood unmoved. No matter how fast Kai struck, no matter how well he wove his attacks, his morph magic countered everything. Not a single bolt of lightning made contact. The man didn't even seem to be trying as he casually negated each strike.
Viktor sighed, shaking his head disappointment. "Haven't you realized yet? I can create the perfect counter to any magic you possess. Each attack you launch, I simply generate its exact opposite."
Kai didn't respond. Instead, he unleashed another Thunder Hawk Screech, the massive wave of lightning and sound surging toward Viktor. As expected, Viktor swept the attack aside with a casual gesture - but the counter left a thin line of smoke hanging in the air between them.
In that split second, Kai vanished in a flash of lightning, reappearing directly in front of Viktor. For the first time, surprise flickered across the purple eyed man's face as he brought his hand down in a crushing motion to stop Kai's advance.
But Kai was already moving, sliding between Viktor's legs. A grin spread across his face as he planted his hands and kicked upward, catching Viktor completely off guard. The impact sent the him flying to the sky.
Not wasting a moment, Kai's body surged with electricity as he launched himself into the air, meeting Viktor. Lightning wrapped around his leg as he spun, building momentum. "Azure Lotus!" he shouted, bringing his electrified leg down in an arc that connected with Viktor's chest. The impact sent him plummeting back to earth, crashing into the ground with insane force.
Dust rose from the crater, swirling in clouds around the impact. Kai landed softly on his feet at the edge as he surveyed the damage.
"It's over, Viktor" he said, his voice carrying.
The words had barely left his mouth when his entire body went rigid. His pupils disappeared, leaving his eyes an empty, hollow blue. In that split second, it was as if his own soul had left his body.
Viktor emerged from the dust cloud, his clothes and appearance intact. Not a single mark or scratch showed on him, despite taking Kai's direct hit.
"I believe that's quite enough," Viktor declared, his tone remaining calm and relaxed as he brushed a speck of dust from his sleeve. "Now then, shall we discuss those scrolls you've been keeping from me?"
His purple eyes gleamed as he regarded Kai's frozen form. "This has all been rather entertaining, but I do have other matters to attend to today."
He approached, his purple eyes gleaming with fascination as he circled the frozen mage.
"You know, Dragon Slayer magic has always been the talk of the continent," Viktor mused. "God Slayers too - they're all over the place. Their powers, their achievements, their... celebrity." He spat the last word.
He paused in front of Kai, studying the young mage's face with interest. "But Hawk magic? Phoenix descendants? Now that's truly fascinating. The fact that so few even know it exists makes it all the more precious. A hidden treasure, waiting to be... collected."
Viktor's lips curled into a smile as he continued his slow circle around Kai. "When Finn told me about you, about your adoptive parents, the magic. I knew I had to learn more. I spent weeks - no, months researching everything I could find about phoenix, or bird magic. Every scrap of information, every whispered legend."
He stopped behind Kai, placing his hand on the mage's shoulder. His mouth moved close to Kai's ear, whispering. "Today, you're going to help me acquire that magic for myself. And once I do..." His grip tightened slightly. "Well, then I'll deal with those other guild members. Finally, I'll achieve what I've always dreamed of - becoming superior to every mage in Fiore. No, in every continent. I'll finally show those cocky bastards what magic can do to others"
After spitting those last words, Viktor took a step back, watching as Kai moved by himself. The young mage's body jerked like a puppet on strings, his movements mechanical and unnatural.
"You shouldn't worry," Viktor said, his voice carrying a false gentleness. "This won't hurt at all. I've simply used morph magic to replicate a combination of mind and body manipulation"
Under the invisible force controlling him, Kai's arm raised slowly. His palm extended outward, fingers spread wide as magic began to swirl around his hand. The air shifted, and in a flash, ten scrolls materialized, hovering above his open palm.
Viktor's purple eyes lit up at the sight, a satisfied smile spreading across his face. "I must admit," he said, stepping closer to examine the floating scrolls, "learning requip magic simply to store the scrolls in a safe place - that was quite smart."
He snatched the scrolls with a fluid motion, tucking them carefully into his coat. He turned and strode toward the manor's entrance, leaving Kai frozen in place.
"It's been a pleasure treating with you, Kai Dawson," Viktor called over his shoulder, his voice carrying a note of satisfaction.
As the words left his mouth, tiny orbs of light began materializing around Kai's form. They started small - just a few scattered spheres hovering at chest height. But within seconds, more appeared. The orbs multiplied rapidly, doubling in number every second until hundreds of them surrounded the lightning mage in a dense cloud of magical energy.
Then, in perfect synchronization, every sphere detonated.
The blast caught Kai, launching his body backward like a ragdoll. His back slammed into the ground, the impact sending a jolt of pain through his entire body as he skidded across the courtyard's stone surface. When he finally came to a stop, he lay on his back, staring up at the cloudless sky above.
The scrolls were gone - every connection to his mother's magic, every piece of her, was now in Viktor's possession.
The courtyard remained eerily peaceful. Birds chirped somewhere in the distance, and a gentle breeze rustled through nearby trees. This serenity felt like mocking him after what had just happened.
For a moment, Kai wondered if this was for the best. Maybe losing the scrolls would finally end the cycle of violence that had followed him since that day. Perhaps this was the universe's way of telling him to let go.
His eyes drifted shut as he surrendered to the gentle brush of the wind.
But suddenly, images flashed through his mind - Mirajane's encouraging smile, Wendy's determined face during training, the entire guild celebrating his return. He saw their support, their acceptance, their faith in him.
His eyes snapped open. What would Aelis and Kirin think of their son giving up? What about his promise at Finn's grave?
The sky above him soon filled up with blue lightning, as a massive column of magic erupted skyward. Kai didn't care about the position he was in. His decision was made : It was time to hunt.