Cherry Blossom Tree Express
"Alright, I'll take you there. Line up in one row and turn that way."
Warrod chuckled and skillfully changed the subject.
He clasped his hands together, his eyes narrowing into slits with laughter, and the bark-like lines on his face seemed to smooth out.
The crowd obediently lined up in a row, all facing the same direction.
Everyone looked at each other, confused, and followed suit, their steps faltering. No one knew what this old man was up to.
"Haha, just kidding, it doesn't matter which way you turn."
Everyone felt a profound sense of powerlessness.
Lucy opened her mouth, but in the end she just sighed, too lazy to even complain.
A sudden tremor shook the ground, and a cherry blossom tree sprouted beneath everyone's feet, growing rapidly.
The ground beneath my feet suddenly trembled, the soil turned up, and a thick tree trunk burst out of the ground, its branches stretching upwards like crazy, soaring into the air in the blink of an eye.
A muffled boom came from beneath my feet, sending clods of earth flying everywhere. The tree seemed to have gathered all its strength, and in the blink of an eye, it unfurled a large, dense canopy.
"Alright, goodbye children."
The cherry blossom trees grew wildly, carrying them southward.
The sturdy branches supported everyone, like a pink boat. The wind whistled past their ears, and the cherry blossoms all over the tree were flung about in a flurry.
Everyone clung tightly to the branches beside them, their bodies bobbing up and down with the swaying. Happy screamed in terror, Carla huddled in a ball, while Natsu laughed the loudest.
Natsu was pleasantly surprised to find that he had no symptoms of motion sickness at all.
My head was no longer dizzy, and my stomach felt calm. It felt like I was riding in a vehicle that wouldn't overturn for the first time.
"Riyao Riyao, do you know how to make this? Next time you're on public transport, get one."
Natsu stood on a branch, hands on his hips, laughing so hard his eyes disappeared into the wind.
"No, I don't know much about plants."
"That was a huge tree you planted in the capital last time?"
"Not knowing much doesn't mean not knowing anything at all. The directions are different; one focuses on plant growth, while the other leverages plants to develop its own capabilities."
Riyao shrugged, his tone indifferent.
"But... but..." Natsu couldn't find the right answer.
He struggled for a long time, his face turning red, but he couldn't find a word to refute him.
Everyone was amazed by the power of the top four of the Ten Wizard Saints.
Lucy discovered the blind spot.
"I remember Hades, the guild master of Grimoire Heart, was also one of the founders, so why was he so weak?"
"Weak? Where is he weak? Don't lie through your teeth. Didn't you all see him single-handedly overpowering Gildarts and the old man? If he hadn't destroyed that heart, how could he have won so easily?"
Riyao looked at Lucy speechlessly.
He sighed, his gaze as if he were looking at a primary school student who had forgotten to bring their brain to school.
"While Hades may not have as much total magic power as Warrod, he's got brains."
"Oh, I see." Lucy scratched her head, feeling like she was finally getting a brain.
Her mouth was half-open, and it took her a while to squeeze out "Oh, I see," her mind buzzing as if a wad of tangled money had been stuffed inside.
The cherry blossom trees show no signs of stopping their growth, stretching across two thousand kilometers.
Natsu was undoubtedly the happiest one on the journey.
He jumped around on the branch with his arms outstretched, shouting "woo-woo-woo!" The wind blew his hair and scarf all the way behind him.
He had never been so lucid in a vehicle before.
After a whirlwind of speed, the group finally arrived at their destination Sun Village.
The cherry blossom tree slowly came to a stop, its branches touching the ground. The people jumped down one by one, and shivered as soon as their feet touched the ground. The surrounding air was so cold that it felt like they had fallen into an ice cellar.
Natsu wasn't satisfied and wanted to do it again.
He lay by the tree trunk, gazing longingly at it, his face filled with reluctance.
"Forget about the cherry blossom tree. When I get back, I'll get you a Parasol Tree swing. It'll rotate 360 degrees without any blind spots. How about that?"
The first half of the Riyao made Natsu's eyes light up, but the second half made his vision go black.
"No, let's leave that for Happy."
"Hey! Natsu, how could you do this to me! That's too much!"
Happy strongly condemned Natsu's actions.
Its fur stood on end, and with a flap of its wings, it pounced on Natsu's face, its claws tearing wildly into his hair.
The group walked into the Sun Village, chatting and laughing.
As Warrod had said, the entire area was frozen solid, and no matter how much they tried to break it, they couldn't.
As soon as you enter the village, a chill hits you. The ice on the ground is so thick it shines, and when you tap it, it makes a ringing sound, but it doesn't leave a white mark.
Looking around, the group was astonished to discover that the villagers were all giants.
The giants stood there like small mountains, their skin blue from the cold, yet their features remained lifelike, as if they might come to life at any moment.
Wow, it's huge! No wonder the house is so big.
Lucy looked up at the giant in front of her.
She craned her neck until it ached before she could barely make out the giant's face, which was taller than her entire body.
Mirajane frowned.
She sniffed the air, her nose twitched, and her face darkened.
"The ice here has a demonic aura, Riyao, do you know why?"
"I'm not entirely sure either, but that mountain over there seems to be alive."
Riyao pointed to the mountain in the village, which was actually the Eternal Flame frozen in place; everyone only saw it from the outside and thought it was a mountain.
Looking in the direction he pointed, the mountain loomed darkly behind the village, completely encased in ice, gleaming coldly in the sunlight.
The group gathered around the mountain.
Natsu opened his mouth and breathed out flames.
He took a deep breath, his cheeks puffed out, and a hot, red glow appeared in his throat.
[Fire Dragon's Roar]
Crimson flames erupted from his throat, blasting towards the mountain with a wave of heat.
The flames licked across the mountain, then dissipated after a moment, leaving the mountain completely unmoved, not even a trace of its surface thawing.
Everyone was stunned, and Natsu's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Hey, did someone beat you to it? But it's okay, whoever grabs the treasure first keeps it!"
Everyone turned around and saw three oddly shaped figures standing on the roof.
The three stood side by side on the roof ridge, looking down at everyone. The frozen sunlight shone from behind them, casting three menacing shadows.
Who is it?
"Since you're so sincere..." Sniper Drake started to recite his ridiculous line.
"Stop with the nonsense, we're treasure hunters from the Hunter's Guild Sylph Labyrinth! We're here specifically for treasure." Chain Sword Hong arrogantly announced his name.
"Thump~" A hand Leila in response.
He raised his hand, which was as big as an iron pot, and slammed it into his palm. The sound was so loud that the roof tiles shook.
The Fairy Tail members were completely baffled; it was the first time they had ever heard of the Hunter's Guild.
The group looked at each other, completely bewildered; none of them had ever heard of this guild.
"We're not interested in the treasure; we're just here to complete our mission: to break the ice here and rescue the giants."
Erza shook her head, feeling that the two sides were not in conflict.
"Huh? We failed precisely because of the giants. Now that the giants are frozen, this is a golden opportunity, and you can't possibly ruin it!"
The three hunters spoke in unison.
The three men assumed fighting stances, looking ready to attack at any moment.
Erza frowned, her hand already on the hilt of her sword, and the air suddenly thickened with the smell of gunpowder.