"Over There."
"Guild Master!"
When Noel and the others arrived at the regular meeting venue, they saw Kageyama standing before Makarov, holding the cursed flute, Lullaby, seemingly ready to play it.
The impatient Natsu and Gray immediately tried to rush forward to stop him, but a figure suddenly blocked their path.
"Shh!"
Standing in front of them was Bob, the guild master of Blue Pegasus.
He raised a finger to his lips, signaling for silence.
Seeing Bob for the first time, Natsu, Gray, and Lucy were startled by his eccentric appearance and instinctively took a step back.
Bob whispered to them, "This is the most exciting part—just watch."
Then, in a sudden change of tone, he cheerfully added, "By the way, you're all so adorable! Just my type!"
Natsu and Gray shuddered in unison, while Lucy quickly hid behind Noel, casting a wary glance at Bob.
In a hushed voice, she asked Noel, "Who is this guy?"
Seeing Bob, Noel's mouth twitched slightly before he managed to squeeze out a few words through clenched teeth: "He's Bob, the guild master of Blue Pegasus."
At that moment, Bob's face lit up with delight as he noticed Noel and Erza.
"Oh my, Noel, Erza—you've both grown so much! Especially you, Noel—you're becoming more and more captivating."
Even with Noel's composure, he couldn't help but take a few steps back, three black lines forming on his forehead in exasperation.
"Stay quiet! This is the best part."
A new voice chimed in—it was Goldmine, the guild master of Quatro Cerberus, who was casually leaning against a tree.
Noticing the calm expressions on both Bob and Goldmine's faces, even with slight, knowing smiles on their lips, Noel's mind stirred. (It seems like they already knew about this... Looks like things aren't as bad as I thought.) With that realization, he settled down.
Meanwhile, in the distance, Kageyama remained locked in a standoff with Makarov.
"Well? Hurry up and play it!" Makarov urged as he watched Kageyama remain silent.
Inside, Kageyama was struggling. (Play it... Just play it. If I do, everything will change.)
He kept trying to convince himself, over and over.
But his body refused to move.
The flute was right by his lips, yet he couldn't bring himself to blow into it.
"Nothing will change!"
As if he had seen straight through Kageyama's thoughts, Makarov spoke:
"The weak will always be weak. But being weak is not a crime. After all, humans themselves are fragile beings. It is precisely because people feel anxious and uncertain that guilds exist. That's why we have comrades—to fight together, to support each other, and to move forward side by side.
Those who struggle may stumble more than once, they may take detours, but as long as they believe in the future and take that first step, strength will naturally emerge. Only by living strongly can one smile brightly—without relying on that flute."
Makarov's gaze softened as he looked at Kageyama.
Clang!
The Lullaby flute fell to the ground.
As if all the strength had drained from his body, Kageyama dropped to his knees before Makarov.
With heartfelt sincerity, he admitted, "I've lost..."
"Master!"
"Old man!"
Natsu, Gray, Erza, and Lucy ran toward Makarov with bright smiles.
Meanwhile, Noel remained standing still, slowly closing his eyes.
(Yes, humans are weak. But it is because of this weakness that we can rely on each other, encourage one another, and forge unbreakable bonds. Do you hear this? You may possess supreme power, but you are alone. You have nothing but strength—no friends, no comrades, no emotions. You and I are not the same. In the past, now, and forever—we are not the same kind of existence.)
Feeling a faint ripple of consciousness from him within his right eye, Noel's lips curled into a satisfied smile. Then, he too ran toward Makarov.
"You four—what are you doing here?!" Makarov exclaimed in surprise as they rushed over.
"As expected of Master, your words just now moved me to tears," Erza declared, pulling Makarov into a tight embrace—her armor instantly overwhelming him.
Natsu playfully patted Makarov's head with a grin.
"Old man, you're pretty amazing!"
"If you really think so, then stop roughing me up..."
"This matter has been resolved perfectly," Noel said with a smile.
Suddenly, the three eyes on the Lullaby flute lying on the ground began to glow with a sinister purple light. The entire flute emitted thick, eerie smoke.
"You pathetic, spineless wizards!" Lullaby suddenly spoke in a human-like voice.
A massive magic circle appeared in the sky.
"I can't stand it anymore. I'll devour you all myself!"
Under everyone's stunned gazes, Lullaby transformed into a towering thirty-meter-tall monster with three eyes.
"I'll consume your souls!" it snarled viciously.
This was Lullaby's true form—one of the demons created by Zeref.
The true terror of Cursed Magic was only just beginning.
"What the hell is that?! I had no idea it could do this!" Kageyama looked at the monstrous form of Lullaby in horror.
"Oh my, things have taken a bad turn," Bob murmured, covering his mouth—but judging from his expression, he wasn't the least bit nervous.
Nearby, Goldmine spoke nonchalantly, "That thing is a demon from the Books of Zeref."
"Why did a monster come out of the flute?"
"That monster isLullaby itself—living magic. That's Zeref's magic."
"Now then... whose soul should I consume first?"
As everyone stood in shock, Lullaby grinned menacingly, scanning the people below.
"Natsu, Gray! Evacuate everyone to a safe distance!" Erza ordered.
"Don't get ahead of yourself—"
"—and start giving orders!"
Feeling embarrassed at being commanded in front of outsiders, Natsu and Gray uncharacteristically resisted Erza's instructions.
Erza's eyes flashed with killing intent.
"I said, please!"
"Aye, ma'am!!"
Faced with the queen's overwhelming authority, Natsu and Gray's resistance was instantly crushed, and in a flash, they turned into obedient second versions of Happy.
At that moment, Lullaby unleashed a single attack, shattering a small mountain and sending the entire Fiore army retreating in terror.
It then turned its gaze toward Noel and his group.
"Alright, I've decided! I'll devour the souls of all you wizards at once!"
Noel's hands flickered with radiant white light as he looked at Lullaby with interest.
"Interesting. If you think you can do it, then give it a try. Let's see if you can swallow this—Holy Light Magic—Radiance Upon the World!"
--------------
Exclusive access : All novel on paetron
Genshin impact 270+ch, Naruto birdcage 200+ch, Overlord Complete novel
From the apocalypse 100+ch, Fairy tail Destiny 30+ch
Join now : patreon*com/DeCakraWnloverz