Late X773

Pale snowflakes drifted from the sky, blanketing the endless mountain ranges in a pristine winter veil.

"Woo—"

The magitek train bound for the northern reaches of Fiore cut through the white expanse like a black iron dragon. Snowflakes scattered in its wake, diverted by the rushing currents.

In one of the rear carriages, a small face pressed against the window.

Azure eyes silently observed the snowy world outside as a slender tail flicked restlessly behind her—betraying the excitement her expressionless face concealed.

The swishing tail tickled Rayne's leg, prompting him to reach out and gently pin it down.

"If you like it that much, we can play in the snow after finishing the job. How's that sound?" Leaning back in his seat, Rayne offered with a chuckle.

"I want to build a snowman! And have a snowball fight!"

Kanna turned away from the window, her tone flat but her eyes gleaming with unmistakable anticipation.

"Snowball fights, huh?..." Rayne mused, recalling scenes from the original story. "I've seen people make snow huts before. Want to try that instead?"

No way in hell am I having a snowball fight with a dragon.

Four months had passed since his battle with Laxus.

Though his physique and magic had grown exponentially through relentless training, facing a pureblood dragon in a "playful" snowball fight would still leave him coughing up blood—if not worse.

"I want to sleep inside it!"

Kanna's tiny hands shot up, stars practically dancing in her eyes.

"Sure, if that's what you want."

Rayne didn't bother dissuading her. Despite her childlike appearance, Kanna was still a dragon—this level of cold meant nothing to her.

"Mission... finish fast!"

Now properly motivated, Kanna clenched her fists with rare enthusiasm.

Had their target been present, Rayne had no doubt she'd blast them with a breath attack on the spot.

"I know, I know. The request already gave us their info. We'll head straight there."

Pulling out the job flyer from his coat, Rayne skimmed the details again.

URGENT REQUEST: Annihilate the Dark Guild [Toymaker's Workshop]

Rank: B

Client: Mayor of Northpeak Town & Allied Villages

Reward: 180,000J

[Details]

Over the past month, Northpeak Town and surrounding villages have suffered a string of child abductions. The children vanish silently in the dead of night, leaving no signs of struggle or forced entry.

Initial investigations point to the dark guild [Toymaker's Workshop], reportedly operating near Mount Brago. The guild is rumored to employ cruel, esoteric methods. We seek powerful mages to eradicate this threat, rescue any surviving captives, and restore peace to our homes.

[Warning]

Targets may possess puppet-based or mind-control magic. Exercise extreme caution.

After four months of steady growth and completed requests, Makarov had finally permitted Rayne to take on B-rank jobs—a tier reserved for threats endangering entire towns.

The fact that this dark guild qualified spoke volumes about their danger.

"Mount Brago, huh..."

Rayne's gaze lingered on the location, his mind racing.

This is the northern region where Gray was originally from.

But without knowing the exact town or timeline, even if he warned Makarov about Deliora's impending revival—the demon that would annihilate a settlement—what could they do?

Scour every village in the north?

"Why would Deliora's seal break now?"

Tucking the flyer away, Rayne crossed his arms, fingertips drumming against his sleeves.

For a sealed demon to coincidentally awaken at the perfect moment was... unlikely.

Which meant someone was orchestrating it.

As for why?

Dark guilds needed no reason to massacre innocents.

But without leads on where or when they'd strike, speculation was pointless.

Then another thought struck him.

"Wasn't Brain from the Oración Seis acting as a research director here?"

The future leader of one of Fiore's most notorious dark guilds, Brain had infiltrated a northern magic institute—experimenting on children to further his goals.

"I'm still not strong enough to face Brain head-on."

Despite his progress, challenging an A or S-rank mage was suicide.

But—

"Wait. Ur is in the north too. And Urtear's one of his victims."

Rayne's eyes sharpened.

Ur, the Ice-Make mage, possessed strength worthy of the Ten Wizard Saints.

But after surrendering her daughter to the institute in desperation—only to be told she'd died—Ur had withdrawn from the world.

A lie.

Urtear hadn't died. Her innate magic power had simply been too unstable... until Brain "stabilized" her.

Of course, he'd never let such a valuable asset go.

Even if she didn't fit his criteria, she was perfect for trading to other dark guilds.

Hence the deception.

"But will Ur believe me if I tell her outright?"

Rayne grimaced.

Ur's love for her daughter would make her cling to any hope—if she'd already accepted Urtear's "death."

But if she still believed the institute was treating her...

"After the job, we'll find Ur first. If she won't help..."

His fingers curled into fists.

"Then Kanna and I will handle the institute ourselves."

Turning a blind eye wasn't an option anymore.

Not when he had the power to change things.

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