The abandoned quarry is less than three miles from the North Gate.
When Lin Yuan and Mira arrived, the truck covered with a gray tarpaulin was parked below the stone wall. The two horses pulling the truck were tied up at a distance, and three men in dark coats were surrounding the back of the truck, having already removed the fasteners from the fireworks box.
The person closest to the truck was holding a red Magic Crystal.
The light inside the crystal flickered, and its surface was so hot it was emitting white smoke. He clearly hadn't noticed the danger and was still using tools to pry open the metal ring at the bottom.
"Put the Magic Crystal down," Mira said.
All three people turned around at the same time.
The man holding the Magic Crystal instinctively hid it behind his back. "Who are you?"
"You stole a whole truckload of fireworks from the warehouse guarded by Fairy Tail, yet you don't know who we are?"
Mira's gaze swept over the three men's coats. As the man on the right gripped the pliers, his cuffs rolled up, revealing a purple emblem on his forearm.
It was a ghost with sharp horns.
The Phantom Lord.
"No wonder they knew the shift change times," Mira said. " The Phantom Lord also took on Harvest Festival transport job at the City Hall."
"We just borrowed a car." The man in the middle no longer concealed his guild crest. "We originally thought no one would discover it until nightfall. It seems Fairy Tail isn't as stupid as the rumors say."
"Who sent you?"
"We don't need anyone's orders." He chuckled. "Don't you guys love showing off in town? No fireworks tonight, perfect for everyone to see."
Lin Yuan did not participate in the argument. His spatial perception had already entered the carriage, inspecting the stacked wooden crates one by one. Most of the fireworks remained stable, but the Magic Crystal in the man's hand was experiencing a rapid increase in internal magic power due to the impact and improper disassembly.
"Give me that one first," Lin Yuan said. "It's about to explode."
The man glanced down at the red light in his palm, and his expression finally changed. Instead of putting the Magic Crystal on the ground, he threw it forcefully at Lin Yuan and turned to run.
Lin Yuan raised his right hand.
The black and silver space around the Magic Crystal instantly closed, completely isolating it from the outside world. The red light continued to expand inside, but it couldn't affect the other fireworks on the truck.
The other two Phantom Lord members seized the opportunity to unleash True Magic. Gravel rose from the ground, while flames ignited in the palm of the other member.
"Don't use fire near fireworks!" Mira was already in front of them.
Without even receiving the Take Over, she landed a blow to the fire mage's abdomen. The nascent True Magic extinguished instantly, the man bent over, and was then struck down by her chop to the neck.
The man manipulating the gravel turned to run, but Lin Yuan steered the road back to its original position. He dashed out three times, each time ending up back next to the truck.
Mira stood there waiting for him.
Are you still running?
The man glanced at his fallen companion, then at the quarry exit that hadn't moved any further, and obediently raised his hands.
The first person to escape also failed to leave. Lin Yuan opened a spatial entrance in front of him, and the person rushed in, only to fall out from the other side of the truck.
The three Phantom Lord were quickly bound to the stone pillar by their own ropes.
As Mira inspected the truck, the black and silver space sealing the Magic Crystal began to vibrate.
Is it possible to save it?
"The spell inside has already been activated; it cannot be stopped."
Lin Yuan looked up at the quarry above. It was far from any town, and there were no flying vehicles in the sky. He moved the enclosed space upwards, opening an exit that led only to the sky after getting away from the truck.
The red Magic Crystal immediately shot out.
A muffled thud came from below the clouds. A barely noticeable red firework bloomed in the daylight, its few points of light slowly dissipating without igniting anything.
Lin Yuan re-examined all the boxes to confirm that the remaining Magic Crystal were unaffected. Mira then found the Phantom Lord member identification and the chains cut from the warehouse on the three of them.
"This is enough to give to the Magic Council," she said.
What about them?
"The city gate guards will come and take it away. Let's send the fireworks back first."
The truck itself was undamaged, and the two horses were merely startled. Mira re-tethered the horses, and Lin Yuan secured all the boxes firmly. When the two drove away from the quarry, there were only twenty-five minutes left before Fantasia's departure.
The return journey was crowded with tourists heading to the city, preventing the trucks from moving at full speed. Instead of immediately moving the fireworks, Lin Yuan shortened the empty sections of road ahead, allowing the carriages to quickly pass through while avoiding the crowds.
The guards at the north gate had already cleared the passage. When the truck entered the city, Macao and Wakaba were waiting by the roadside. Upon seeing the intact fireworks box, they both breathed a sigh of relief.
"One is missing," Lin Yuan said.
"As long as we're not short one car," Macao jumped onto the chassis. "We have enough left to finish the grand finale."
Mira handed the Phantom Lord member's identification to Makarov, who arrived shortly after. The old man's face darkened upon seeing the insignia, but he didn't lash out on the festival street; he simply put the identification away.
"We'll deal with this after the Harvest Festival," he said. "You two hurry back to your floats. The parade starts in ten minutes."
The True Magic lights on both sides of the street are lighting up one by one.
Lin Yuan and Mira ran through the crowd toward South Street. The sixth float was already parked at the end of the procession, Lisanna, holding four silver paper bags, waved vigorously at them from beside the float.
Before the last streetlamp came on, the two boarded the float together.