The Magic Merchant in Fairy Tail

Judging from this trend, if Kira dared to say no to Erza's question, he knew she wouldn't hesitate to make him regret it.

"Hehehe... Erza still understands me!" Kira immediately admitted, his grin a mixture of mischief and surrender. "I can only say this: Natsu will not turn into a dragon. This has to do with the disappearance of the dragons. You'll understand the rest in time."

"The disappearance of the dragons?" Erza asked, her eyes narrowing. "Do you mean the dragons that raised Natsu and the others before they vanished seven years ago?"

Kira nodded. "Exactly."

Natsu, despite his dizziness, shot up as if jolted by lightning. "Wait, what? Do you know where Igneel went? Tell me, Kira!"

The desperation in Natsu's voice was palpable. For years, he had searched for Igneel with no answers. Now, Kira's words suggested he had information that could finally explain everything.

But Kira, looking unusually solemn, shook his head. "Sorry, Natsu. This is the one thing I can't tell you."

Natsu's expression fell, a mix of frustration and heartbreak. "Why not?!"

Do you want me to say, "Igneel has been dead for years, and the dragon chasing us earlier is the one responsible, but a fragment of Igneel's soul still lingers inside you, silently watching over you as you grow?" Kira thought. It wasn't just a matter of revealing too much too soon—it was a truth too painful to be spoken lightly.

"But Natsu," Kira said gently, "I can tell you this much: Igneel is always by your side."

Natsu's gaze sharpened, but before he could press further, Kira shut down the conversation with his usual cryptic flair: "That's all I'm saying. This involves things too complicated to explain now. You'll understand when the time comes."

The others, equally curious, leaned in closer, but Kira didn't budge.

"Why does he always have to be like this?" Lucy muttered. "One second, he's insightful, and the next, he's spouting riddles."

"That's just Kira," Gray said, though even he looked frustrated.

"How do you even know all this?" Lucy pressed. "I've read so many books about dragons, and I've never come across anything like this."

Kira smirked, leaning back on the airship's railing. "Oh, I have my sources."

"Sources?!" Lucy threw up her hands. "That's not an answer!"

Gildarts, intrigued, interjected. "Kira, are you saying you've spoken to a dragon before?"

Kira shook his head. "No, today was my first time seeing a dragon in person. There aren't many left, after all. Less than ten, as far as I know."

"Ten?!" Lucy exclaimed.

The group fell silent as they processed this revelation. Gildarts, however, narrowed his eyes. He knew Kira wasn't exaggerating.

Five of them are the dragons tied to my mission—the Water Dragon, Fire Dragon, Moon Dragon, Gold Dragon, and Wood Dragon, Gildarts thought grimly. Then there's Acnologia and Falong. That makes seven. So there are three unaccounted for... Could Igneel be among them?

Gildarts spoke again, his tone measured. "Kira, do you know about my mission?"

Kira's eyes darted away. "Who, me? No! What are you talking about? I don't know anything about it. Hahaha!"

The feigned ignorance was so poorly acted that even Happy rolled his eyes.

Gildarts sighed. "Fine. I get it—you know. But listen carefully. That mission is not something to mess around with. You're strong, Kira, but you're not ready to take on those dragons."

Kira's response was as subtle as a lightning bolt. "Oh, I know! The Five Divine Dragons are way out of my league right now!"

"The Five Divine Dragons?!"

Kira's loud declaration caused an uproar among the group.

"What do you mean by Five Divine Dragons?" Lucy asked.

"Are those the dragons tied to Gildarts's mission?" Gray added.

"Will they know anything about Igneel?" Natsu demanded, his dizziness momentarily forgotten.

Gildarts pinched the bridge of his nose, regretting he had ever brought it up. "Kira, stop talking."

Despite the chaos Kira had stirred, Gildarts knew his mission couldn't remain a secret forever. However, he didn't expect what came next.

"Gildarts," Natsu said, stepping forward with determination burning in his eyes. "If you're going after the dragons, take me with you!"

Gildarts was taken aback. "Natsu..."

"I need to find Igneel. If those dragons might have answers, I have to go!"

Gildarts sighed heavily. "Natsu, listen. The mission I'm on is no ordinary job. Even I haven't made progress after three years. You're not ready."

"But—!"

"No buts." Gildarts's voice was firm. "You'll have your chance one day, but not now."

The airship eventually landed at a safe point, far from Acnologia's wrath. Gildarts announced he wouldn't be returning to the guild just yet.

"I need to report to my client about what happened," he explained.

"But your injuries..." Cana began.

"I'll be fine," Gildarts assured her. "Just need some time to heal. You all go back to the guild and rest up."

Winter and Poole decided to leave with Gildarts. "We'll travel together for a while," Winter said. "He could use someone to watch his back."

The Fairy Tail members exchanged farewells, wishing them luck.

Before Gildarts departed, he hesitated for a moment, looking at Cana.

"Kana..."

She turned, startled by the rare seriousness in his voice.

For a moment, it seemed he might say something profound, but he simply smiled. "Take care of yourself, okay?"

"Yeah... I will."

As the airship ascended once more, Cana watched her father grow smaller in the distance.

"Next time," she murmured, "I'll tell him."

The airship soared toward Magnolia, and the mood among the group began to lift.

Despite the exhaustion, the pain, and the lingering threat of Acnologia, there was a sense of relief. They had survived.

"Well," Kira said, breaking the silence, "I think we've earned ourselves a good meal and a long nap when we get back."

Gray smirked. "And maybe a drink or two?"

Cana grinned. "Or three."

Natsu, despite his lingering dizziness, managed a small smile. "Next time, I'll be stronger."

Kira leaned back, watching the clouds pass by. "Yeah, next time. But for now, let's just go home."

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