Kageyama

Meanwhile, on the other side of the train...

"Hmm..."

Natsu slowly awoke, but the return to consciousness brought with it even more intense pain.

The world spun around him, his internal organs were churning, and he felt as if an invisible hand was slowly pulling his soul out of the top of his head.

Just as he was slumped over the table, waging a desperate battle against the bone-deep motion sickness, a sinister voice suddenly rang out from above him.

"Young man, is anyone here?"

A man with long black hair sat down opposite Natsu without waiting for a response.

That person was none other than Kageyama, a member of the Eisenwald.

"Hey! You look really uncomfortable. Are you okay?"

Kageyama's tone was full of feigned concern, but his eyes, like those of a venomous snake, scanned Natsu.

"Fairy Tail, a legitimate guild, how enviable!"

He sighed sarcastically, then abruptly changed the subject.

"Speaking of Fairy Tail, we can't help but mention 'Infinity'. His mission success rate is 100%, and he even single-handedly helped the Kingdom of Fiore complete that mission that had been hanging for a hundred years. Truly remarkable."

"The entire magical world is shaken by him; now everyone's scrambling to get into Fairy Tail."

Kageyama leaned forward slightly, lowering his voice as if sharing a secret.

"However, why has Lord 'Infinity' stopped going on missions so much in the past year? Does he think he's invincible?"

"Do you know that person? You must know them, since we're in the same guild. Could you introduce them to me?"

Natsu did not answer.

Motion sickness had drained him of all his strength; he didn't even have the strength to open his mouth and could only slump over the table, panting heavily.

However, Kageyama interpreted his silence as blatant disregard and contempt.

Kageyama's fake smile vanished instantly, replaced by a ferocious rage.

"Hello!"

He suddenly stood up and kicked Natsu hard in the face!

"Why are you ignoring me?! Do you look down on our Dark Guild?!"

"Ha?"

The sharp pain on his face brought Natsu back to his senses somewhat. He looked up, and his eyes, which should have been full of vitality, were now filled with weakness and confusion.

What do you want to do?

"Oh? Finally, you're willing to speak?"

Kageyama looked down at him, his face full of mockery.

"Just because you're a legitimate guild, does that mean you can act tough and look down on me?"

"Do you know what we dark guilds call Fairy Tail?"

He leaned close to Natsu's ear and spoke slowly and deliberately, with an extremely contemptuous tone.

"It's a 'fly,' an annoying fly that just buzzes around everywhere."

"Asshole!"

These words, like the most potent fuel, instantly ignited Natsu's fury.

"Are you looking for a beating?!"

He roared, and flames suddenly burst forth from his hands.

However, the feeling of weakness caused by motion sickness swept over him in the next second, and the flame in his hand flickered only once before going out weakly.

"Ha ha!"

Upon seeing this, Kageyama let out a wild and unrestrained laugh, "What kind of laughable magic is that? This is how magic is supposed to be used!"

Before he finished speaking, the shadow beneath Kageyama's feet suddenly twisted and wriggled, forming a giant black fist in mid-air!

"Bang!"

The fist of shadow carried immense force, a vicious uppercut that landed squarely on Natsu's chin, sending him flying!

"Ha ha!"

Seeing Natsu fall awkwardly to the ground, Kageyama's laughter grew even more unrestrained.

"Hateful!"

Natsu struggled to get up, but his body wouldn't obey him.

Just then!

"Squeak--!"

With an ear-piercing metallic scraping sound, the entire train suddenly braked and lurched violently forward!

All the passengers and belongings in the carriage were propelled forward uncontrollably by the enormous inertia.

Kageyama's backpack, which he had placed on his seat, fell heavily to the ground, and a black flute carved with a ferocious skull rolled out of it.

Natsu saw the flute, but he had no time to care what it was.

Because the train stopped.

The motion sickness that had plagued him all the way vanished instantly.

The power has returned!

Natsu suddenly leaped to his feet, and with a loud "boom," his hands burst into flames that were more intense than ever before.

He grinned, revealing a smile brimming with fighting spirit.

"You were the only one yelling nonstop just now."

"This is... a return gift for what you just did!"

Before he could finish speaking, Natsu's figure had already transformed into a streak of fire, instantly rushing in front of Kageyama and slamming a flaming iron fist hard into his still-laughing face!

"Ah--!"

Kageyama let out a piercing scream, his whole body bouncing wildly around in the cramped carriage like a bouncy ball launched at high speed.

Ceiling, floor, walls, windows...

"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!"

After a series of loud crashes, he finally smashed through the door connecting the carriages with a loud "bang" and flew into another carriage.

"So this is the Fly Fist you were talking about?"

Natsu flicked his still-smoking fist and said disdainfully,

"Specifically for swatting flies."

"You... you little brat..."

Kageyama struggled to his feet from the pile of debris, before he could finish speaking.

Suddenly, the train's announcement system came on.

"It has been confirmed that the emergency braking just now was an incorrect signal. We will depart immediately. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused!"

"Oh no!"

Upon hearing the words "departing immediately," Natsu's face instantly turned green.

"Run!"

He didn't want to experience that feeling of being worse than dead again.

"Don't even think about escaping!"

Kageyama, clutching his face which was swollen like a pig's head, let out a venomous Roar.

"How dare you attack our Eisenwald! You're dead, you stinking fly!"

I've remembered your face!

Natsu had already rushed to the car window, and as he rolled it open, he turned back and shouted.

"How dare you look down on Fairy Tail! Next time, I'll definitely beat you to a pulp!"

Having said that, he didn't hesitate any longer. The instant the train started moving again, he leaped off the speeding train.