"Damn it, where do you think you're going?" Suddenly a sharp voice came from behind, and then two children came running up panting with two cats, their eyes filled with wariness and hesitation as they looked at Zorn.
"Frosch, Frosch ~" A frog-like cat put its finger to its mouth and said blankly.
"That's right, don't even think about taking anyone from our Fairy Tail away!" Sting's cat, Lector, also took a step forward and said firmly.
"Oh, really? You've got guts!" Zorn's lips curled into a smile.
"So what do you want?" Zorn looked at Sting and Rogue, as well as the two cats, Frosch and Lector, and felt a desire to tease and test them.
Sting and Rogue exchanged a glance, both seeing the fear in each other's eyes, but still gritted their teeth and took a few steps forward.
Frosch and Lector, the two cats, also closely followed their owner.
"Haha, not bad, commendable courage!"
Zorn nodded and said with a smile.
He took a step forward directly, his aura slightly unfolding.
In an instant, it seemed as if only two little ones and two cats remained in the entire world.
A terrifying aura pressed down on Sting, Rogue, Frosch, and Lector like a mountain.
Sting and Rogue, along with the two cats Frosch and Lector, suddenly seemed to be stared at by a ferocious beast, and the sky seemed to darken all day long.
They were drenched in cold sweat and their legs were trembling violently, but they persevered.
His upper teeth chattered against his lower teeth. "Please give us back... Yukino and Runa, they are our Fairy Tail members."
"Oh, I remember Runa doesn't count, right? You all know they were sent here, don't you?" Zorn said in a gloomy, mocking voice, seemingly ridiculing Sting and Rogue's naiveté.
However, his words plunged the room into silence.
"You actually consider them your partners? Wouldn't it be better if I took them with me?" Zorn continued to tease, trying to make Sting and Rogue realize their mistake.
However, Sting and Rogue did not waver; they gritted their teeth and persevered.
Suddenly, one cat couldn't withstand the pressure and collapsed to the ground. Then, the other cat also collapsed.
This made Sting and Rogue's situation even more difficult, but they still refused to give up.
"Partners... they are partners, I can feel it... I consider them partners, no... if you say no, then no!!" Sting said with difficulty, his head down.
His voice was full of determination and unyielding spirit, which moved everyone who heard it.
"I won't allow it!! They are my most important partners!" As Sting finished speaking, Rogue also raised his head, his eyes shining with determination.
A powerful surge of Magic Power erupted from them, resisting Zorn's Darkness.
As Sting and Rogue's Belief grew stronger, their Magic Power surged ever more powerfully. The two opposing forces of Magic Power, one white and one black, intertwined, forming a formidable force that rippled outwards.
Runa and Yukino were both awestruck by Sting and Rogue's imposing presence, and a strange feeling arose within them.
Looking at Sting and Rogue's Yukino and Runa, something inside him began to sprout and grow.
"Sting... Rogue..." "Frosch, Frosch." The two cats stared blankly at the two people, their initial fear seemingly fading considerably, and they slowly stood up.
"Hmph~" Zorn snorted, and a terrifying gravity instantly pressed Sting and Rogue to the ground, unable to move. But this force only lasted for a moment before dissipating without a trace.
"If you're worried, come along!" Zorn glanced at Sting and Rogue with amusement and said with a smile.
Then he turned around and continued walking forward with Lucy and Runa.
"Are you alright?" Yukino rushed over and helped Sting and Rogue up from the ground. Then she hugged the two adorable cats, Frosch and Wraith, with a happy smile on her face.
On the afternoon of the second day, on a small road leading to Tianhaichuan Town.
Zorn strode forward with the girl, his steps light and quick, as if he were unaffected by anything.
Sting and Rogue, on the other hand, seemed to be struggling. They moved forward with difficulty, one step at a time, each step causing the ground to sink in.
Zorn imposed gravity restrictions on them, making their movements extremely difficult.
This wasn't something Zorn did intentionally; rather, the two of them were of one mind and unwaveringly wanted to become stronger, regardless of anything else, as long as it made them stronger.
Zorn had no choice but to grant their request.
The weather was still quite cold, and the sea breeze howled by, carrying a salty smell.
However, Sting and Rogue felt extremely hot, with sweat dripping from their foreheads. They were panting heavily, their faces flushed, as if they had reached their limit.
"Don't even think about slacking off. If you want to become stronger, you have to endure this hardship." Zorn's voice echoed in the wind.
He looked at the two young men, a stern glint in his eyes.
"Natsu and Gajeel have lasted much longer than you two!!" These words ignited Sting and Rogue's fighting spirit. They gritted their teeth, barely managing to keep themselves upright, and continued forward.
Seeing this, Zorn nodded slightly. These two children truly deserved to become Dragon Slayer; they possessed unwavering perseverance.
Therefore, the gravity restriction was directly removed.
However, the moment the burden was relieved, Sting and Rogue immediately collapsed to the ground, panting heavily.
Their clothes were soaked through, their faces were etched with exhaustion, but their eyes shone with unwavering determination.
"Sting, Rogue, come and have some water!" Yukino ran over quickly to hand them water, looking at the two with concern. The two cats also quickly fanned themselves from the side.
"Now that we're in this town, let's head straight to the Magic shop!" Zorn announced, glancing at the hurried pedestrians in the town.
"If that doesn't work, we can try the local auction house!" Zorn thought seriously for a moment, then continued.
"Ugh!" Runa staggered, but managed to regain her balance.
He immediately exploded. "I said, is it really that casual? That's the golden key to the Zodiac, not something just some Tom, Dick, or Harry can find anywhere!"
She went through a lot of hardship to get those two keys, and one of them cost her the entire fortune she had to obtain just to get a piece of information.
She felt that the second option, going directly to the auction, was more likely.
Future Lucy hears Runa's voice in the future, she deeply agrees, realizing that besides the key passed down in her family, she had also gone through many trials to obtain it.
"Yukino, do you think we should go to the Magic shop?" Zorn asked Yukino again.
When they arrived in this town, Zorn simply took out a map and asked Yukino where she most wanted to go and what she thought was the best place to go.
Yukino and the two cats exchanged a glance, then she shouted, "I want to go, and I want to buy another Celestial Spirit Key!"
"Alright, this was your sister's decision, not mine!" Zorn simply shrugged.
Meanwhile, in the other venue, the third day of the competition officially began. Laxus had a gloomy expression, like a volcano about to erupt. The low pressure emanating from him made people afraid to approach, and even Natsu, Gray, and the others could only watch from afar.
"Laxus, what's wrong?" Levy asked cautiously. She didn't understand why the usually calm Laxus was so angry.
"It's because that guy Zorn took Future Lucy off to do something again, and he didn't even bring her along!" Lucy whispered in reply.
"Ah... what!" Levy cried out in surprise, all sorts of strange images flashing through her mind instantly.
"Ouch!" Cana gently poked Levy's head with her finger and said with a smile, "Don't overthink it. Laxus is just angry because he feels that Zorn always shoulders everything alone and is unwilling to share the burden with everyone."
"And if Zorn comes back, I will absolutely not let him off!" Cana clenched her fists, a flash of anger in her eyes. She was very dissatisfied with Zorn's lone-wolf behavior.
To be continued~