Across a boundless wasteland, a high-speed train sped along the endless tracks. Inside an already empty carriage, Natsu sat slumped in his seat, looking utterly lifeless—lonely and desolate.
"Ughhh… this is too much… They actually left me behind… I feel awful… someone, please, save me…"
Natsu howled internally in despair.
"Sorry, sorry. I can't believe I forgot you—that's on me."
At that moment, Alian's calm and steady voice echoed through the empty carriage.
"You finally came! You guys are the worst—leaving me here alone… ugh… I'm gonna throw up…"
The moment Natsu saw him, it was like seeing a savior. His eyes lit up, but right after complaining, he clutched his mouth again, struggling against the dizziness and nausea.
"Sorry about that. I'll get you out of here now."
Alian gave an awkward smile, placing one hand on Natsu's shoulder while grabbing his backpack from the luggage rack with the other.
Just as he was about to activate his teleportation magic, the speeding train suddenly slammed to a halt. Alian staggered, nearly losing his footing, while Natsu fared worse—he slammed straight into the seat in front of him, grimacing in pain.
"What the…? Don't tell me Erza and the others did this…" Alian muttered, lips twitching.
And, as it turned out, he guessed right.
Inside the station's control room, Erza had just pulled the emergency brake lever.
"Wait! You can't just pull the emergency brake like that! It'll cause problems!" a staff member hurried over to stop her.
"This is for the sake of my comrades. I hope you understand," Erza said calmly.
"…Please don't make things difficult for me," the staff member replied, his face full of helplessness.
"Also, please have our luggage delivered to the hotel," Erza added casually, as if issuing orders to a subordinate.
"Why me?!"
If he had only been helpless before, now he was completely speechless. He worked at a train station—not as a hotel porter!
"Honestly… anyone who can join Fairy Tail is anything but ordinary," Lucy covered her face and muttered.
In the end, Ultear stepped in to negotiate with the staff. Then she turned to Erza.
"That's enough, Erza. Don't interfere with their work. Let's take a magic-powered four-wheel vehicle and go after Lord Alian."
After apologizing, Ultear pulled Erza out of the control room, with Lucy and Gray following behind. As for Erza's mountain-like luggage, Ultear stored it away in spatial magic.
—
Meanwhile, the train started moving again.
Seeing this, Alian grabbed Natsu by the shoulder and teleported them out of the carriage.
Watching the train disappear into the distance, Natsu sat on the ground, still shaken.
"Ah… I'm alive again… I swear, I'll never ride transportation ever again…"
"Let's just wait here for Erza and the others."
Alian actually wanted to laugh, but seeing how miserable Natsu looked, he felt a bit guilty.
After all, he was the one who knocked Natsu out—and then forgot him on the train.
Mocking him now would be a bit too much.
Not long after, a magic-powered four-wheel vehicle came roaring toward them, kicking up clouds of dust before stopping in front of the two.
Erza and the others jumped out, quickly checking them over. Seeing they were unharmed, they all let out a sigh of relief.
"It's good that you two are alright," Erza said.
"You guys are the worst! You actually left me alone on the train—I thought I saw the afterlife back there!" Natsu complained.
Erza, Ultear, and the others all felt somewhat at fault and apologized one after another. Even Gray, who usually bickered with Natsu, joined in.
That, in turn, made Natsu a little embarrassed.
At that moment, Alian suddenly spoke:
"I just remembered what Lullaby is. If it's really what I'm thinking of… then those rats from Eisenwald are planning something big."
Everyone turned to him at once. Lucy, acting as the group's spokesperson, asked:
"Alian, what do you mean?"
"First, let me make one thing clear—Lullaby is extremely dangerous. Far more dangerous than you can imagine."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"Lullaby, also known as the Cursed Flute—sometimes called the Song of Curse or Lullaby—is one of the 'Books of Zeref,' created by the Black Mage Zeref. It's a forbidden magical artifact sealed by the Magic Council.
"It's a curse-killing magic. Anyone who hears the flute will die. All living beings within its range will have their life force stripped away. It's a large-scale mass curse."
His expression was grave.
"Wait—that's terrible!!!" Lucy cried out. "If Eisenwald uses that flute in a crowded place, wouldn't that cause massive casualties?! That's way beyond just panic!"
Everyone's expressions turned serious. Clearly, they had realized the same thing.
"…No. We need to get to Oshibana Station—now."
Alian's face suddenly changed as he urged everyone into the vehicle. He himself jumped into the driver's seat and put on a magic-powered bracelet.
"Alian, what do you mean? Explain!" Erza pressed.
"Get in first—I'll explain on the way. There's no time. If we're too late, this will turn into a disaster," Alian said urgently.
Erza and the others quickly climbed into the vehicle, while Gray clung onto the roof.
Alian's expression hardened.
"Hold on tight—grab whatever you can!"
The moment he finished speaking, he poured magic power into the vehicle. It shot forward like an arrow released from a bow, racing into the distance.
"Alian! You're pushing it too hard! The spark plugs are swelling, and your magic power is going to drain fast!" Gray shouted, gripping the edge tightly.
"There's no time," Alian said coldly, hands gripping the controls.
"If they want to gather a large number of people in a short time, the closest place is Oshibana Station.
"If Erigor uses the station's broadcast system to spread the sound of the flute…"
His voice turned icy.
"…then everyone in the entire city will have their lives taken in an instant."