Chapter 44

Mystogan took a deep breath, his mind heavy with thoughts as he turned to Gajeel. The journalist gave him a firm nod, his usual gruff demeanor softening just slightly.

"Be careful, Mystogan," Gajeel said, his voice laced with concern.

Mystogan returned the nod, appreciating the rare sentiment. "Thank you, Gajeel. For everything."

With that, he turned and walked away, making his way toward the castle—toward the meeting that had been long overdue.

With each step, his resolve hardened. There was no longer a need to hide. Pulling back his cape, he let it fall to the ground, revealing himself in full. The cool air brushed against his black and blue jacket, his dark gray loose pants swaying slightly as he strode forward. His black boots echoed against the stone path as he passed through the outer corridors of the castle.

The knights stationed at the entrance barely reacted. Some turned their heads, eyes widening as they recognized him. Others simply let him pass, too stunned to process what they were seeing. There was no hesitation in his movement—no fear, no doubt. He walked through the grand halls as though they were still his own.

But the throne room was empty.

His brows furrowed as he scanned the lavish space, the flickering torchlight casting long shadows across the marble floor. Something was off.

Then, he heard it—faint, distant, from below.

His steps were careful but deliberate as he made his way through the castle's lower levels. The air grew colder, heavier with a strange presence.

And then he saw it.

At the very depths of the castle, in a vast chamber lit by eerie blue crystals, stood Faust—his father.

The old king was not seated on a throne, nor was he surrounded by attendants or guards. Instead, he stood alone, his gaze fixed upward, staring at something massive.

Mystogan's breath caught.

It was a machine—no, a creature—no, a dragon . A metallic beast, its dormant body looming over the chamber like a god in slumber. Its immense form was unlike anything Mystogan had ever seen. Was it man-made? Or something far older?

He descended the steps slowly, making no effort to conceal his presence.

His boots clicked against the stone, the sound carrying through the chamber.

Faust stiffened.

"H-Huah?!" The old king spun around, his face twisting in shock. His body tensed as if expecting an enemy, his hands trembling slightly. His voice carried both disbelief and suspicion as he demanded,

"Who are you?"

Mystogan exhaled, his expression unreadable.

"It's me…" he said simply.

For a moment, Faust remained frozen. Then, recognition dawned. His eyes widened further, his lips parting as if the word itself was foreign to him.

"S…Son?" he finally breathed.

Mystogan looked down, bracing himself. He expected outrage, expected guards to be called upon him—expected punishment .

But instead, arms wrapped around him.

A genuine, desperate embrace.

His father's grip was tight, as if afraid that the son he had long lost would disappear the moment he let go.

"S-Son…" Faust's voice cracked. His body trembled as he held him close, his shoulders shaking with something between relief and sorrow.

Mystogan hesitated before murmuring, "…Father."

Faust pulled back slightly, his aged face taking in every detail of Mystogan's presence as if ensuring he was real. He reached out, almost hesitant, touching his son's shoulder—then his face.

"How?" Faust whispered, his voice filled with something Mystogan had never heard from him before—fear. "How were you able to return here? Without Anima, you have no means to cross over… how did you…?"

"I came through a different means," Mystogan answered. His tone was calm, steady. "It was not Anima."

Faust slowly nodded, processing the revelation.

"…It's good," he said, his voice softer now. "It's good to see you again."

Mystogan's eyes darkened.

"Why?" he asked. "I betrayed you. I put a stop to your plans to plundering Earthland. Why would you welcome me back?"

Faust sighed, stepping back, his expression troubled.

"Yes… I felt your betrayal," he admitted. "At the time, I was blinded with hatred. But none of that matters now." His voice grew heavy. "You shouldn't have come back here."

Mystogan frowned.

"Huh?"

Faust turned his gaze upward—to the ceiling, where cracks in the stone allowed glimpses of the sky above. The moon, colored in an unnatural hue, loomed like an omen.

"I'm sure you've noticed… the new moon," Faust said grimly.

"…God Rock," Mystogan murmured, his eyes narrowing.

Faust inhaled sharply. "Yes. There is a man inside there. No… not a man. A god ." His voice trembled slightly, his fingers tightening into fists. "Oh, gods… I fear his wrath. I shouldn't have done it. I shouldn't have stolen from it…"

Mystogan's expression hardened.

"I've heard you've slowed your advancements in siphoning energy from God Rock," he said.

Faust nodded. "Out of fear. Fear of what sleeps inside."

A tense silence filled the chamber before Mystogan spoke again.

"Apart from that… there are also the rumors of the abominations," he said carefully.

Faust's expression twisted with something akin to regret.

"Fools…" he muttered, shaking his head. "Fools who tried to imitate what I had already abandoned."

Mystogan's jaw clenched. "You experimented on people, didn't you?"

Faust didn't answer immediately. Instead, he gestured for Mystogan to follow him.

They walked deeper into the chamber until they reached another set of massive doors. With a heavy creak, the doors parted, revealing rows of large cylindrical tanks filled with a strange liquid.

Inside them—twisted figures floated lifelessly.

Mystogan felt his stomach churn.

"Hughes… Sugarboy…" Faust breathed with dread.

Disfigured beyond recognition, the two former men twitched inside their glass prisons. Their flesh warped, their bodies barely resembling anything human.

"They volunteered," Faust said, his voice hollow. "They were the first misfortune."

Mystogan swallowed the bile rising in his throat.

"Lily wanted them alive," Faust continued. "He wanted to mend them from my foolishness." He turned to his son, his eyes filled with unspoken guilt. "But it's not just them I fear. It's what looms above."

Mystogan remained silent as his father continued.

"You saw it, didn't you? Our large project. It was meant as preparation… in case the god awakens." Faust's voice dropped to a whisper. "But I know, deep down, no matter how much we build, no matter what weapons we create… we wouldn't be able to do a thing about him."

His gaze darkened.

"We cannot fight a god, son."

Faust turned back to Mystogan, his voice heavy with something that resembled resignation.

"We can only pray… that he will grant us mercy."

Mystogan exhaled, tension thick in the air.

"You shouldn't have returned here," Faust murmured.

His eyes, for the first time, showed something Mystogan never expected to see.

Not power. Not ambition.

But defeat .

"This world…" Faust whispered.

"…is fated to be damned by the very thing that gave us life."

Fairy Tail, Edolas

Naruto could feel the weight of Wendy's stare bearing down on him. It wasn't the soft, wide-eyed gaze of the young girl he had grown to care for in Earthland. No, this Wendy was different—older, sharper, and filled with an intensity that made his skin crawl.

Boy, the women in this world were something else.

"Umm... can you please stop looking at me like that?" Naruto finally spoke up, shifting uncomfortably under her scrutinizing gaze.

Wendy didn't blink. Her arms were crossed, her expression unreadable, as if she were piecing together a puzzle just by looking at him. Before she could respond, another voice cut through the tension.

"Spill it, buddy. Why are you donning our emblem?"

Naruto turned toward the voice. Lucy. But not his Lucy. This Lucy's voice was rougher, more commanding—a far cry from the cheerful and somewhat dramatic blonde he knew. She leaned in, arms crossed, her eyes narrowed with suspicion.

Naruto instinctively raised a hand to the black Fairy Tail mark on the side of his neck, glancing at it before looking back at them. His lips pressed into a thin line.

"Ah, this?" He chuckled awkwardly, scratching the back of his head. "Uh…"

Should he tell them? These people were Fairy Tail, but they weren't his Fairy Tail.

His eyes wandered around the guild hall, trying to ground himself, but the more he looked, the more his head spun.

Natsu—fearless, battle-hungry Natsu—was cowering behind Lucy. His wide eyes darted nervously around the room, his body tense like a cornered animal. This wasn't the same hot-blooded dragon slayer Naruto used to spar with for fun.

Then there was Gray. Gray, who normally stripped at the most inconvenient times, was bundled up in so many layers he looked like he was preparing for a trip to Mt. Hakobe. Meanwhile, Juvia, who was once an awkward, love-struck mess around him, stood tall and poised, exuding a calm confidence—almost like she had taken Gray's former role.

Levy, usually the picture of studious elegance, slouched at a table with her legs kicked up, flipping through a magazine with a bored expression. Jet and Droy, her once-loyal lackeys, were leaning against the bar, looking more like back-alley punks than Fairy Tail wizards, chewing on toothpicks and whispering amongst themselves.

And Elfman… Naruto barely recognized him. Gone was the loud, boisterous warrior who preached about being a "real man." Instead, he sat meekly at the bar, quietly sipping from a cup like a nervous schoolboy.

At least one thing was still the same—Mirajane, smiling sweetly from behind the counter, lazily wiping down a glass as if none of this was unusual.

Something was wrong with this Fairy Tail.

Naruto exhaled, deciding to come clean.

"Alright, alright! I give up! My name's Naruto Uzumaki, and I am a Fairy Tail wizard—just not from this world."

A tense silence followed his words.

"Hah?!" Lucy's brow twitched, and she gave him an incredulous look. "Are you lost, pal? You're claiming you came from another world? Hah! Yeah, right! None of us are buying that! WHO ARE YOU, REALLY?!"

Before Naruto could react, Lucy lunged at him, locking his arm in a painful grip and trying to wrestle him down.

Naruto sighed. Some things never change.

He twisted his body and reversed the hold with ease, flipping her over and pinning her down. The guild members watching gasped.

"Holy shit—" Jet muttered.

Lucy groaned from beneath him, momentarily stunned. Naruto quickly let go, taking a step back with his hands raised.

"Alright, you want proof?" He lifted a hand, forming a Rasengan in his palm with ease. The swirling sphere of chakra illuminated the guild, casting a blue glow across their stunned faces.

"You guys can't do this, right?" Naruto said with a grin. "Well, in my world, people spit fire and breathe ice."

Wendy's eyes widened, her serious expression finally cracking.

"W-what?!" Lucy blurted out, stumbling to her feet.

Before anyone could respond further, a new presence entered the scene.

Naruto turned his head. A white-haired woman stood nearby, staring at him with wide eyes. Her presence barely registered at first—until something deep in his gut told him otherwise.

His Aokugan flared instinctively.

Something was wrong. Not with this world—no, with her.

His ethereal blue eyes locked onto hers, and suddenly, recognition hit him like a tidal wave.

This woman was different from the others.

Mirajane had once spoken of her sister—her late sister. A girl named Lisanna, who had tragically lost her life on a mission.

But Lisanna was dead.

Yet here she was, standing right in front of him.

"…Lisanna?" Naruto murmured, stepping forward as if drawn by an unseen force.

Lisanna's eyes darted to the ground, her breath hitching. Then, without a word, she turned on her heel and bolted out of the guild.

Naruto tensed.

"Hey—!"

Before he could chase after her, Lucy tackled him from behind.

"YOU CREEP! What the hell did you say to her?!" she yelled, pulling at his hair.

"Ow—hey, cut it out!" Naruto protested. With a quick Kawarimi, he swapped places with a wooden chair, leaving Lucy to chomp down on it instead.

"OW!" Lucy yelped, rubbing her mouth.

Naruto wasted no time.

He ran after Lisanna.

Lisanna ran through the dense woods, her breath coming in short, ragged gasps as she clutched her mouth, trying to suppress the rising panic in her chest. Her heart pounded like a drum against her ribs, her legs moving on instinct, dodging low-hanging branches and uneven roots. She didn't know Naruto personally, but she knew what he was—who he was.

A Fairy Tail wizard.

Not this world's Fairy Tail.

The one she had grown up in.

The realization had shaken her more than she could explain. How? How could he be here? If he was from her Fairy Tail, did that mean…?

"Lisanna!" Naruto's voice rang out behind her, cutting through the rustling leaves and the wind howling through the trees. His tone was clear, firm—demanding, but not unkind.

She clenched her teeth, forcing her legs to move faster. She wasn't ready. She couldn't be.

But the forest had eyes.

A guttural growl slithered through the darkness, making the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. From the shadows emerged one of the tailless lizards—an abomination twisted by dark magic, its hollowed-out eyes glowing faintly as they locked onto her like a predator spotting its prey. Its movements were unnatural, its body shifting in ways that defied logic, the air around it distorting as it lunged.

Lisanna's body froze for a split second—too slow to react.

Then—

Boom.

A blur of orange and black. A gust of displaced wind.

Naruto was already there.

His fist buried deep into the creature's midsection, sending it flying backward with enough force to shake the ground. The abomination crumpled in an instant, unconscious before it even hit the earth.

Lisanna stumbled back, her lips parting in shock.

Naruto straightened, rolling his shoulders as he dusted off his knuckles. His expression was unreadable, but the concern in his voice was unmistakable.

"Why did you run?" he asked, his blue eyes studying her carefully.

She didn't answer. Couldn't.

Naruto exhaled through his nose, a quiet understanding settling over his face. He took a step closer.

"…I knew it," he murmured. "You're from our Fairy Tail, aren't you?"

Lisanna tensed.

"I can sense it," he continued, his gaze unwavering. "The ethernano inside you—it's been locked up, suppressed somehow." His fingers twitched, and without another word, he raised his hand slightly, palm open.

A ripple of energy pulsed from him, unseen but deeply felt.

Lisanna gasped, stumbling as an invisible force shattered around her. It was as if unseen shackles had been broken, a crushing weight suddenly lifted from her body. Warmth flooded her limbs—the familiar hum of magic awakening inside her.

She flexed her fingers, almost disbelieving. It's back.

Her magic was back.

Lisanna stared at Naruto, stunned.

"You're alive…" His voice was quieter now, as if the weight of those words had finally settled on him.

"We never met," he admitted, "but I was close with your sister. Mira talked about you all the time. So did Elfman." He hesitated, watching her carefully. "They thought you were dead."

Lisanna's breath hitched, emotion swelling in her chest. "Mira… Elfman…"

Her siblings had never stopped thinking about her. Never stopped mourning her.

She clenched her fists, struggling to keep herself composed.

"What are you doing here? How did you end up in this place?" Naruto asked, breaking the silence.

"Anima… was it?" he muttered, answering his own question. "Figures..."

Lisanna lifted her gaze, still shaken, but now more confused than anything.

"W-What about you?" she questioned, her voice unsteady. "How did you get here? Without Anima, there's no longer a link between our world and this one."

Naruto folded his arms, his expression turning thoughtful.

"We came through… different means," he replied vaguely.

"We?" Lisanna echoed, eyes narrowing.

"Yeah," Naruto nodded. "One of the residents of this world somehow got stranded in ours. I helped him return here using a lacrima called Twilight ."

Lisanna stared at him, trying to process his words. The idea that someone from Edolas had ended up in Earthland was already bizarre, but what struck her more was—

"You… can help me go back?" she asked hesitantly.

Naruto's gaze softened.

"Yes," he confirmed. "But it's a one-way trip. I'm the only one who can use Twilight . Once I send you back to Earthland, you won't be able to return to Edolas."

Lisanna fell silent, deep in thought.

The possibility of returning home, of seeing her siblings again, sent her heart soaring. But at the same time… she glanced back at the darkened forest, at the unfamiliar world she had spent so long surviving in.

Was she really ready to leave?

"For now, let's head back to the guild and clear things up," Naruto said, breaking the silence.

Lisanna hesitated for a moment, then nodded, trailing behind him.

Royal Castle

In the grand halls of the castle, Mystogan stood before his father, King Faust, alongside Panther Lily and Erza Knightwalker. The air was tense with curiosity and unspoken questions.

Lily's eyes widened as he recognized the young prince standing before them. "Prince Jellal…?" he muttered.

Mystogan shook his head with a soft but firm expression. "Not anymore," he said. "I go by Mystogan now."

Faust frowned, his regal posture unwavering. He had ruled Edolas with an iron will, and yet, his son—his once-proud heir—had abandoned his name. Still, he exhaled through his nose and nodded. "Very well… Mystogan it is."

Knightwalker, arms crossed, watched the exchange with little interest. "Names are irrelevant. What's important is why you called us here. You have a plan, don't you?"

Mystogan nodded. "I do. A way to restore our magic, permanently. But before that, we have a much bigger problem to deal with."

"The god you fear…" Mystogan spoke, his voice steady but grim, "It isn't just a god. It's something far worse—an Otsutsuki."

Faust's fingers tightened around the armrests of his throne. "Ōtsutsuki? What in the world…?"

Mystogan took a deep breath. "A race of celestial beings. They descend upon worlds, plant seeds that grow into Divine Trees, and then harvest them… devouring the very life of the planet itself."

Panther Lily's eyes narrowed, his massive arms crossed over his chest. "You're saying this god will not just awaken—it will consume Edolas?"

Mystogan nodded gravely. "If we do nothing, yes."

Erza Knightwalker, usually unshaken, clenched her fist. "Tch… And you're telling us this now? How are we supposed to fight something that drains the life of an entire world?"

Faust's face twisted in fear. "By the gods… I expected disaster, but this is far worse than I ever imagined…"

For the first time in the meeting, Mystogan smirked. "I understand how impossible it sounds. But I know someone—someone who can handle that god."

Faust's eyes flickered with a sliver of hope. "Who?"

Mystogan's smirk widened.

"Naruto."

Fairy Tail, Edolas

Naruto had finally managed to clear things up with the guild, thanks to Lisanna vouching for him. Though they remained cautious, they at least acknowledged—albeit warily—that he was from another world. Lisanna had quietly asked him not to reveal her true origins just yet, a request he respected.

In return, Naruto had his own questions. His mind lingered on the strange creatures the guild had been fighting when they first met. Turning to Lucy, he crossed his arms.

"Those things… the tailless lizards," he said. "What exactly are they?"

Lucy frowned, exchanging uneasy glances with Levy and Gray before answering. "They're people… or at least, they used to be."

Naruto's gaze darkened. "I figured as much… But how did they end up like that?"

Lucy sighed, leaning against the bar. "From what we've gathered, they were criminals—people from the underground world. They were obsessed with power, so they experimented on others using a foreign energy extracted from what we call the 'God Rock.' They thought they could unlock new abilities… but instead, they became that ."

Naruto exhaled sharply. "They played with something they didn't understand… and now they're just monsters. A tale as old as time."

Adult Wendy scoffed, arms folded. "Yeah, well, now they're our problem. The king himself hired us to take them down before they spread any further. That's all we really know."

Levy adjusted her glasses, deep in thought. "There's still a lot we don't know, though. The God Rock… the energy inside it—it's not like Edolas' magic. It's something else entirely."

Naruto tilted his head slightly, his expression unreadable. "Well, yeah. Just like me, that thing came from another world—maybe one similar to mine, or even from my world."

Lucy's eyes narrowed. "Okay… explain."

Naruto's voice was steady, but there was an underlying tension in his words. "There's a being sleeping above us. Inside the moon you call the 'God Rock' lies an Ōtsutsuki—beings that plant seeds on a world, only to drain its life force for their own gain." He let that sink in before adding, " That thing above us is going to cause trouble if we let it lie for much longer."

A chill settled over the room. Wendy hesitated, lowering her hand. "T-That's…"

Lucy scoffed, trying to mask her unease. "And you seriously expect us to believe that?"

Naruto shrugged. "Nope. But I'll deal with it anyway." His expression shifted, more determined than ever. "But first, I need to get to the capital."

Levy gave him a small smirk. "Well, you're in luck—because we're already on our way."

Naruto spent the next few hours hanging around the guild, waiting for their departure. Eventually, they reached the royal city, its towering walls and grand structures standing as a testament to the kingdom's might.

Before long, they arrived at the castle itself.

Chapter End