Edolas

Without warning, a huge rift opened up in the sky above Magnolia, stretching across the heavens.

Everyone in the guild was busy with their own things: Natsu and Gray were arguing again, Erza was eating cake, and Cana was drinking...

The noise drowned out everything, and no one noticed the strangeness in the sky outside.

Mystogan just left the border of Magnolia when he stopped, turned around, and his pupils contracted sharply.

The enormous crack in the sky, like a scar, was expanding at a visible speed.

He didn't have time to think, he hurriedly turned around and rushed back, his cloak fluttering behind him.

This time, Anima was launched too quickly, so quickly that Mystogan didn't have time to set up a blocking array, and so quickly that he didn't even have time to notify the guild members.

The crack was already devouring Magnolia's buildings and streets, everything was being extracted as magical particles.

"Damn it, they're going all in for one last gamble. Looks like I need to go back."

Mystogan gritted his teeth, channeled the magic in his ring to activate his wand, and sent himself into the gap between the two worlds.

Above the sky, between two worlds, lies a hazy, gray space.

Riyao sat up abruptly from the dust, brushed the debris off his clothes, his head still buzzing.

I was just sleeping in the infirmary, and in the blink of an eye I'm in this weird place. I'm completely dazed.

"What happened? Where am I? Am I still in China?"

He rubbed the back of his head and looked around. All he could see were floating pebbles and a hazy mist, with no landmarks to refer to.

Mystogan was in the distance, saw Riyao and walked over with Lucy and Gajeel. Lucy's face was full of panic, while Gajeel remained expressionless, only constantly flexing his wrists.

"Great, Riyao, you're here too."

Mystogan breathed a sigh of relief.

When Riyao saw the three of them, his sluggish mind finally started working again, and memories flooded back like a tide.

Damn, how could I forget about that? Magnolia has been kidnapped by Edolas!

Does this mean I've time-traveled again?

Hmm~ Could Edolas have a counterpart to me?

Mystogan waved his hand in front of Riyao, interrupting his increasingly outrageous train of thought.

"Wake up, the situation is a bit urgent."

"Ah, oh, oh."

Riyao snapped out of his daze and dropped his playful expression.

Mystogan explained the current situation to the three of them, speaking quickly but clearly.

"Edolas' magic was depleted, and in order to obtain magic, they created 'Anima' to plunder the magic of other worlds. I have been traveling around for many years to stop 'Anima'."

"This time they risked almost all their magic to activate Anima, plundering the entire Magnolia. Everyone in the guild was turned into Magic Crystals."

Lucy's face turned deathly pale instantly.

"Magic Crystal?"

"Yes, once it's used, it can't be changed back, so time is of the essence."

Mystogan's tone turned somber.

"You go and rescue your guildmates, I'll infiltrate the palace, reverse Anima, and bring you back."

"Destroying the Magic Crystal will free them. We need to do it quickly, otherwise they won't be able to turn back once it's been used."

Lucy covered her face and sighed deeply, her voice filled with Despair.

Why is my life so miserable?

Gajeel stretched his body, twisted his neck, and his joints cracked. His magical power was constantly draining away, and his strength was slipping through his fingers like sand.

"Destruction is my specialty, but what if our magic keeps draining away?"

Mystogan took a small bottle from his cloak and poured out three small pills.

"This is the X-Ball, I won't go into details, but it allows you to use magic in Edolas. There's no magic in the air of Edolas, without this you're just ordinary people."

Riyao took the X-Ball, tossed it into his mouth, chewed it a couple of times, smacked his lips, and looked disgusted.

"Old Mys, next time make it strawberry flavored, what's this taste like? It's like chewing on a lump of mud. Do you need me to improve the recipe?"

Mystogan's forehead creased with annoyance, and his lips twitched. What time of year is this? Still being picky about tastes?

Seeing that Riyao and Gajeel had both swallowed the X-Ball, Lucy hesitated for a moment and then swallowed it as well, her face contorting in pain from the bitter taste.

"It's so bitter..."

"You'll get used to it. Next time I'll give you some even more bitter medicine, and you'll get used to it."

Riyao patted Lucy on the shoulder.

Seeing that all three had finished their medicine, Mystogan gave them the remaining X-Ball and prepared to send them to Edolas.

I'll take you to Edolas right away.

Before they could speak, the space beneath their feet began to distort, and a powerful magical force swept them up, as if they had been thrown out by an invisible hand.

Mystogan wiped the sweat from his brow and looked in the direction the three had disappeared.

"Phew, I still can't handle Riyao. That guy always manages to say the most absurd things at the most serious moments. Oh no, I forgot to make them hold hands together. It should be fine, right..."

Edolas.

Riyao stands on a sky island.

He stood alone in the center of the sky island, while Lucy and Gajeel were nowhere to be found.

"Where is this? No, that Old Mys didn't even give us a map or any navigation. He just dumped us here like this?"

He looked around and could vaguely see buildings in the distance below the floating island.

Sky islands are great!

Riyao crouched down and touched the rocks beneath his feet, then stood up and opened his arms to feel the air currents on the sky island.

"I really want to pack one up and take it with me. I could build a manor there and travel all over the place. Just thinking about it is wonderful."

"I'll study it; it shouldn't take much effort. It's just floating, right? I'm knowledgeable; what's a floating island to me?"

Riyao began exploring the floating island, crouching down to tap on a rock, then prying off a piece and smelling it.

He tested it again with magic, and the emerald green light seeped into the rock, revealing its internal structure clearly in his perception.

"What is this substance? I don't think Earth-land has it. Shall we get some?"

He took out a small bag, stuffed in a few rocks, and then pulled out a few plants he had never seen before, putting them in with their roots and soil.

"No, it seems that during the reversal, the Sky Island's magic was drained and it all crashed. Taking it away wouldn't have helped."

Riyao looked regretfully at the bag in his hand, then at the floating island beneath his feet, and sighed.

"Forget it, let's take care of business first. We can talk about the Sky Island later."

After some exploration, Riyao scratched his head, stood on the edge of the floating island, and looked at the city in the distance.

"Alright, let's get started. Let's go find Natsu and the others first. I wonder where Lucy and Gajeel have been. Hopefully, nothing unexpected has happened."

He leaped off the edge of the floating island; the no-rope bungee jumping was truly thrilling.

The wind whistled past his ears as Riyao gazed at the unfamiliar sky of Edolas, a slight smile playing on his lips.