Oi, Little Miss, Want a Ride?

In the blink of an eye, the two Natsus had already come to understand each other.

One was inside the car, one was outside, and their four eyes met, each seeing in the other what they longed for.

"I envy you being so comfortable outside the car."

Natsu of Edolas sighed.

"You're really good at driving."

Natsu of Earth-land scratched the back of his head, a slight smile playing on his lips, his eyes filled with genuine admiration.

Natsu was sitting in the car with half his body sticking out, and he had his arm around Natsu's shoulder. The two identical heads were close together, making the scene both bizarre and comical.

Riyao straddled the magic motorcycle, twisted the handlebars twice, and the horn emitted two crisp beeps. He braced himself on one foot and tilted his chin toward the back seat.

"Hey, little sister, want a ride?"

Such skillful technique; he's clearly one of Old Mo's men.

Lisanna and Lucy loaded everything into Natsu's car— Magic Crystals, magical items, food, and water—stuffing them one by one until the car was completely full, so much so that they had to use their knees to push the door shut.

Don't treat my beloved car like this!

"You have a problem with that?"

"Uh, no..."

Under Lucy's pressure, Natsu obediently shut his mouth.

"Are you leaving?"

Lisanna stood beside the car, casually wiping the sweat from her face.

"Yeah, we've taken up quite a bit of time. See you next time if there's a chance. Don't worry, we won't reveal our Fairy Tail identities this time."

Riyao patted the motorcycle's fuel tank, his tone relaxed.

"Huh? What's wrong with that?"

Lucy tilted her head, not quite understanding.

"We're going to fight against the entire kingdom this time. Once we leave Edolas, you'll be in for a world of trouble."

"Oh, right! Thanks then, we'll be going now, brother-in-law."

Lisanna suddenly realized what was happening, pulled Lucy into the car, slammed the door shut, and waved to Riyao through the window.

Happy fluttered over with her little wings, plopped down in Riyao's arms, grabbed the edge of the motorcycle's gas tank with her little paws, and looked around with her round eyes full of excitement.

Wendy obediently sat behind Riyao, her two little hands gently supporting his waist, her posture as upright as a primary school student in class.

Lucy sat down behind Wendy. As soon as she settled in, Wendy's face showed a complicated expression. She felt a great sense of pressure from above, as if she were being weighed down by two small mountains.

Carla flew over, stroked her chin and thought for two seconds, then kicked Happy, her little paws accurately striking his butt.

Happy "Ouch!" as he was kicked to the ground, while Carla sat steadily in Riyao's lap.

"You stupid tomcat, go sit in the back."

"Huh? Why is this happening?"

Happy rubbed his bottom, squatting pitifully on the back seat, his ears drooping.

Natsu stood beside the motorcycle, his lips pursed, his face already turning pale. Just thinking about getting on it made his stomach churn, and a fine layer of cold sweat broke out on his forehead.

"How about I run there?"

Without a word, Riyao pulled out a rope and quickly tied Natsu to the back of the motorcycle, his movements as swift and efficient as binding a pig.

Then he raised his hand and slapped Natsu on the back of the neck. Natsu's eyelids rolled back, and his head slumped down limply.

"He was dawdling, Happy sat on him."

"Aye!"

Happy jumped from the back seat onto the shoulder of the unconscious Natsu, settled in, and patted Natsu's head with his little paws.

Don't worry, Natsu, you won't throw up while you're asleep.

Riyao twisted the throttle.

Hmm~

The magical motorcycle started, its engine emitting a deep roar.

A blue magical flame shot out from the rear of the vehicle, and the wheels rolled over the gravel road as it sped towards the capital.

The wind howled past both sides, blowing the roadside weeds this way and that.

Wendy was feeling down. Lucy's immense pressure kept hitting her head as they walked. Every time they went over a pothole, Lucy's body would lurch forward, making Wendy's face scrunch up as she muttered to herself.

"Well, I'll grow up eventually, won't I?"

We sped along, the wind of the wilderness rushing into our collars and cuffs.

Riyao felt lightheaded, and this made him unable to resist bursting into song, letting out a loud wail.

"Speeding at 70 miles per hour, I feel completely free."

Carla gave a sarcastic comment, covering her ears with her little paws and scrunching her face.

"What kind of rubbish are you singing? You're clearly singing off-key."

Riyao's lips curled slightly, his expression nonchalant.

"Hey, you don't understand. I'm singing about a feeling. I always feel like riding a bike without listening to music isn't quite right. How about you summon Lyra, Lucy?"

"We're already crowded here. If I summon another Lyra, where will we even have room?"

Lucy shouted from behind, but the wind blew her voice into fragments.

"I told you to exercise more, but look at your arms, you don't even have an ounce of flesh on them."

What is the relationship between these two?

"If you were stronger, you could lift Lyra up."

Lucy felt a profound sense of powerlessness, stemming both from the physical disorientation she experienced and from the psychological onslaught of Riyao's logical attacks.

She opened her mouth to refute, but the wind was too strong, and all her words were blown back into her mouth.

While Riyao and his group sped across the wilderness, a major event was unfolding in the royal capital.

The kingdom divided a portion of the Magic Crystal and transported it to the plaza for display, thus showcasing the kingdom's power.

In the largest square stands a huge Magic Crystal, as tall as a three-story building, radiating a ghostly blue light. Its surface is covered with intricate patterns, like a frozen heart beating quietly.

The Royal Army's soldiers protected the Magic Crystal in layers, prohibiting anyone from getting close.

Iron Dragon Gajeel and Reporter Gajeel were secretly lurking in a nearby dark alley, two identical people crouching behind a trash can.

"That must be the target."

Reporter Gajeel lowered his voice, his knuckles cracking, and all the muscles in his body tensed up, like a beast poised to pounce.

"That should be it, as Mystogan said."

Iron Dragon Gajeel pushed up his glasses, his gaze passing over the trash cans as he carefully surveyed the distribution of guards in the square.

"So what are you going to do next?"

"Hmph, of course it's destruction!"

Iron Dragon Gajeel grinned, revealing a mouthful of sharp teeth. His fists were clenched so tightly they turned blue, and he exuded a bloodthirsty excitement.

"That will have to wait until tomorrow. Tomorrow, civilians will be allowed to approach and visit. We can then take advantage of the chaos to get close."

Reporter Gajeel closed his notebook, dusted off his clothes, and stood up with a swift and decisive movement.

"As expected of me, Edolas."

Iron Dragon Gajeel gave an approving look and raised a thumbs up to his other self.

The two walked arm in arm into the depths of the alley, discussing how to cause trouble the next day.

"Hopefully, we'll have better luck tomorrow, and that Magic Crystal will yield a powerful mage; otherwise, retreating will be very difficult."

"Who cares? With me here, the Royal Army is nothing but a bunch of chickens and dogs."

Riyao and his entourage are rapidly approaching the capital.