Fairy Tail Space Mage

……

"What should I do... Ugh... I got the date wrong... Ugh..."

"Oh no!"

"Please, cheer up! Tomorrow is the day that person returns, and why am I still in the carriage? And next, I have to burn a book... Waaah!" Lucy was the one who should be cheering the most. She was already crying.

"Actually, this is fine. Natsu can't possibly be a match for Ku anyway. This way, we avoid losing face." Happy thought for a moment and decided there was no need for it to feel regretful along with Natsu.

“That won’t do… Ugh…” It was really too difficult for Natsu to speak in the carriage.

“That’s right! Didn’t you say I had to be a witness? No way, I’m giving up the commission and going back right now!” Lucy was unwilling to accept it either.

“But… you can get 200 million J just by burning a book. Are you willing to give up such a request?” Happy asked the two of them.

“200 million J! Indeed, 200 million J... My apartment in the commercial district costs 7 J a month. 200 million J is enough to pay two and a half years’ rent.” Lucy’s eyes gleamed with gold.

Is an obsession with money in the nature of a merchant's daughter? I've heard that dragons love treasure; I wonder if Lucy's ancestors had any connection to dragons.

“You won’t get all of those rewards. You’ll only get a third,” Harby teased her.

“One-third…no, it’s at least half. After all, how can a pet get a share of a human?” Lucy wouldn’t let Happy retaliate like before.

This wasn't the first time Lucy had teamed up with Natsu and Happy. Previously, the three of them had teamed up to complete a quest to capture the "Delicacy Featherfish." But that fish, despite being called a "delicacy," was actually a misnomer; it tasted absolutely awful!

Therefore, now that they were already confirmed as team members, Lucy naturally wouldn't be polite to Happy anymore.

It's worth mentioning that the fact that "the blonde princess who sank the demon" immediately formed a fixed team with "fire dragon" spread throughout the guild!

This time, Lucy's formidable strength was firmly established within the guild. After all, if she weren't strong, it would be impossible for her to form a fixed team with "Fire Dragon," one of the guild's top fighters!

Lucy felt very conflicted about this. While it was a good thing to have gained a decent "status" in her favorite guild right from the start, this unrealistic and excessively high status would eventually backfire. Lucy truly hoped that day would never come.

"No... I'm going back... I'm going back..."

Natsu, forgotten in the corner of the carriage, interrupted Lucy and Happy's conversation about the distribution of their bounty. For him, despite his current financial straits, the battle against the Sky was clearly more important.

“Natsu, Sora won’t just stay in the guild for one day. If he abandons a quest, he’ll definitely be laughed at by everyone when he goes back to the guild… Sora is a super quest master who has never failed thousands of quests…”

"Okay! We'll go back after we complete the mission!"

Before Happy could finish speaking, Natsu immediately replied. Sure enough, Natsu would immediately give in if provoked with emptiness. Gray was pretty much the same in this respect.

The reason Natsu's sentences became coherent was, of course, because the carriage had stopped.

Ahead lies the mansion where "Sunrise" is located—the Duke of Aybal's mansion, which they are about to burn down!

Lucy, Natsu, and Happy's first major commission (in terms of reward) after forming a fixed team is about to begin.

At the same time, Sora had already returned to Fairy Tail a day earlier, on July 6th.

Starting today, the bartender at Fairy Tail will be "absent." Everyone's used to it. Only the new members who joined the guild this year look puzzled.

However, they didn't pay much attention. Even Mira sometimes went out to complete quests. After all, she was a certified S-rank mage.

When Sora emerged from the magic circle, Mira was sitting on the sofa opposite, holding Kaoru. It seemed they had a premonition that Sora would return a day early. So, the two of them were waiting there.

"Welcome back!" Mira flashed the sweetest smile in the world.

Sora felt as if the entire world had been illuminated. His heart pounded, overwhelmed with emotion and deep love for the girl before him, making him want to rush over and embrace her tightly. But alas, he could only take one step forward before he had to force himself to stop.

"I'm back." Kong Ning gazed into the girl's jewel-like eyes and revealed the gentlest smile in the world.

"Welcome back, Kong! Xun'er missed you so much!"

As if to prove her existence, Xun'er flew up and entered the gaze between the two who were staring at each other.

"I'm back, Xun'er," Kong quickly added.

However, even after Sora turned her gaze to her, Xun'er was still not satisfied. She flew high up, circled Sora, hovered around his head a few times, and then reluctantly landed back in Mira's arms.

They looked like birds unable to return to their nests, very pitiful.

"Seriously, how long is this going to last..." Xun'er looked aggrieved; unlike Mira, she couldn't hold back her complaints.

"It'll be soon... I think, if things go smoothly, it should happen within the next six months. Whether it's resolving the 'Sky Garment's' loss of control or finding Lisanna, both should be achievable." Sora wasn't trying to comfort Kaoru. Because the story was about to begin.

Chapter 099 Starry Sky and Sea of ​​Space

"Plot" is a terrifying thing. Sora has already experienced firsthand the dread of going against the "plot." Therefore, Sora knows that the opportunities he's waiting for won't be easily changed. Sora has arranged everything; all that's left is to reap the rewards.

In the next six months, he will resolve all the problems. At the same time, he will become stronger. And both the "Sky Garment" and the "Singularity" will evolve during this period.

“Lisanna…Kong, is what you said true? In six months, will we be able to find Lisanna?” Mira stood up excitedly.

"Yes. We will definitely bring her back." Sora looked at Mira's expectant eyes and nodded seriously.

“Lisanna… Waaah… Lisanna is coming back, Xun’er… Waaah…” Mira immediately burst into tears, hugging Xun’er tightly and crying with joy.

Although Sora and everyone else have been supporting her for the past two years, it's far from enough. It can't completely save her.

The pain of losing her sister pierces her deeply every year on this day. Last night, she dreamed of Lisanna turning into dust in her arms and disappearing.

This pain, mixed with the joy of returning from the void, always tormented her.

But after this year, it will all be over.

Lisanna will come back, and she can go back into that man's arms. Perhaps that's the real reason Mira cried. These two pieces of news were, for Mira, the best news in the world!

Mira couldn't help but burst into tears of joy.

"Waaah... Sister Mira, don't cry... Xun'er is going to cry too... Waaah..." Xun'er was already crying.

Seeing the two of them like this, Kong felt envious. He also wanted to cry, but unfortunately, he couldn't hug anyone.

However, despite suffering a curse that essentially prevented him from getting close to anyone, he used that power to protect those he cared about. And that was enough.

Looking up, Kong naturally couldn't see the starry sky; he could only see the ceiling.

However, this had become a habit for Sora. Only the distant, unattainable stars could temporarily alleviate Sora's fear of distance. This seemed to have become a way for Sora to relieve his pain, a form of mental liberation, over the past two and a half years.

……

After a while, Mira and Xun'er finally calmed down from crying.

At this moment, Kong was still staring at the ceiling above him. It seemed as if his gaze pierced through the roof and truly saw the starry sky. However, this was impossible, since it was still daytime outside.

Although you can't see the stars in the sky, you can see layers of spatial faults stacked like the surface of a sea.

They are far calmer than the surface of the sea, hardly making a ripple. Yet they are far more turbulent than the sea. The countless tiny particles that make them up flow at speeds exceeding the speed of light. It is as if nothing in this world can interfere with them.

This is space. It is both fluid and still. And all things float in its flowing ocean. That is time.

Six months ago, on the day he severed the "Sword Peak," he was able to see all of this... As a space mage, he finally touched upon a stage deeper than using or creating space magic.

Is this good fortune or misfortune?

If, as Zeref said, the ultimate goal of magic is to peer into the "abyss," then has he already embarked on that path?

"Kong!" Mira and Xun'er both noticed the difference in Kong upon his return.

It's not just about hairstyle and temperament, but much more.

They felt that there was an invisible membrane separating them from the void. This membrane blocked them not only in terms of space, but also on a deeper spiritual level, preventing them from touching the void.

For a moment, they even had a strange feeling. They saw Kong's body slowly embedding itself into the abyss-like spatial rift behind him, about to disappear from their sight.

However, that was just an illusion. Because, after they called out, Sora immediately looked back at them. In an instant, everything returned to normal. Sora was still in front of them in her slightly dim, but clean and tidy, book-filled dormitory room.

Mira and Xun'er exchanged a glance, confirming that it wasn't an illusion. They finally understood why, as Sora's closest relatives, they had always felt so insecure.

"Kong... how long will you stay in the guild this time?" This wasn't the question Xun'er originally wanted to ask. But what else could she ask? She knew nothing about the current situation.

"Hmm. Aside from doing quests, I'll probably be staying in the guild most of the time from now on." Surprisingly, Sora gave Xun'er an unexpected answer. And this answer undoubtedly brought a look of surprise and delight to both Xun'er and Mira.

Sora rarely stays in the guild. Although there's nothing that can truly bind a "space mage," Sora seems to prefer acting alone and quietly.

Today, at least for the foreseeable future, Kong has decided to stay in the guild.

This surprised and delighted Mira and Xun'er. They even wondered if it was real, if they were dreaming!

"Sigh...please don't make that face, okay? I'm only running around because I have things to do, not because I like it. For someone as lazy as me who hates change, I wish I could stay in one place forever." Sora said with a hint of helplessness.

"Staying in one place for the rest of your life... Sora, if you don't mind..." Mira was really bothered by Sora's last sentence, and immediately blushed, switching into "dating mode." No, it should be called "proposal mode." She and Sora had long since passed that stage.

"Alright! Stop right now! You two! Xun'er is still here! Besides, if you want to consider that matter, wait until six months later!" Xun'er was very dissatisfied.

Although she liked Sora and Mira very much and hoped they could both be happy, the overly sweet atmosphere between them made any bystander feel suffocated. In this situation, Kaoru definitely had to rush in and forcefully interrupt them!

Xun'er would never admit that it was because of jealousy.

……

Next, Mira put Xun'er down and got up to make black tea for the two people and the cat. The two people and the cat elegantly sipped their tea while chatting about the latest developments in the guild. This was completely different from the other two people and the cat who were thousands of miles away, struggling with a 200 million J quest.

It's true what they say, different people (and cats) have different fates!

"Lucy? She joined the guild." Since we're talking about the guild's recent activities, we have to mention the "Blonde Princess Who Sinks the Demon," who joined the guild these past two days and has attracted a lot of attention.

"So Sora really knows her? Didn't you only meet once? Or a long time ago? How can you remember so clearly!" Mira immediately switched into jealous mode. This was a necessary reaction, a display of her dominance, proving that "she is Sora's woman." It had nothing to do with whether she was narrow-minded or not.

Moreover, any woman is narrow-minded at this point, unless she doesn't deeply love the man in front of her.

"Ah...don't worry, Mira. My feelings for you are absolutely unwavering!" Sora quickly explained. Although Xun'er, standing beside her, felt that these words were a little embarrassing and cheesy.

"Hmm. That's good!" Mira was pleased, and her face turned bright red.

Xun'er sighed and decided to focus on enjoying her black tea in her own small cup.

Chapter 100 The Secret of Duke Aibar

“Lucy is a good girl. And, you might not realize it, but her joining Fairy Tail was actually guided by fate. She's connected to my past, Natsu's, and many others... Mira, please do what you can to help her. In the future, she might become a very important person to Fairy Tail…”

Kong certainly didn't think that a simple "I'm devoted to you" would completely reassure Mira, so he began to explain earnestly. However, his explanation was rather unclear, and instead gave the impression of being vague and evasive, as if he wanted to cover up the truth.

"So that's how much Sora values ​​her... Oh well, Lucy is really cute! There's nothing we can do about it..."

Unexpectedly, Sora's explanation backfired. Mira revealed a somewhat sinister smile. Of all the things she had just said, "Sora's past" seemed to be the main reason for Mira's descent into darkness.

"Yes, Xun'er is also curious about this. Sister Mira, I heard that there's a rumor circulating in the guild that a newcomer has been given the nickname 'The Blonde Princess Who Sinks the Demon,' what's going on?"

Xun'er wasn't in the guild for the past few days. She only returned today, so she has no idea what this newbie's "nickname" is all about. If someone has the strength to defeat Mira right after joining the guild, they certainly deserve to be valued so highly by Kong! From any perspective.

"'The blonde princess who sank the demon'?!" Sora exclaimed in surprise. He seemed to have never imagined Lucy would have such a nickname. In Sora's mind, Lucy couldn't possibly be that powerful yet. He even thought that the possibility of her surpassing Mira in the future was slim.

After all, his Mira had never stopped. With her magic reserves approaching 20,000, and the possibility of her casting "super magic" at will in the future, Sora didn't think she would lose to Lucy.

By the way, Sora currently has 18,000 units of magic power. Erza has about 19,000 units, slightly more than Sora. Natsu and Gray both have over 10,000 units of magic power, with Natsu's being significantly higher.