Fairy Tail: Collapsing Stars

Chapter 422: Lucy: Didn’t Expect It, Did You? This Is My Escape Route!

Time flew by, and the new year had passed...

In the blink of an eye, X782 became X783...

In March, it was currently the season when spring was warm and flowers bloomed.

The higher-ups of the magical prison BLACKVOX were holding a meeting...

”Are they still fighting?”

In the meeting room, Lutz wore nearsighted glasses and sat at his office desk. His elbows rested on the table, his forearms raised, and his white-gloved hands were crossed together. No one could see what expression was on Lutzʼs face, which was hidden behind his hands. Everyone could only faintly see Lutzʼs nearsighted glasses continuously reflecting the light. At this moment, Lutz used his hoarse voice, carrying a bit of inquiry, to ask everyone in the office. Then he said no more.

As Lutzʼs voice fell, the prison meeting room also became quiet. The prison higher-ups inside the meeting room remained silent, as though there was some problem with Warden Lutzʼs question that made everyone unable to answer. For a moment, deathly silence spread through the meeting room. The silent and cold people in the meeting room made the entire atmosphere in the room seem both serious and strange, making people inexplicably stand at attention.

”They are still fighting...”

After a long while, someone finally answered Lutzʼs question. The person answering was a young soldier. He was not a higher-up in the prison, but had been temporarily pulled over by his superior. It seemed he was specially used to report the situation to Lutz.

”Still fighting?”

Lutz frowned tightly, seeming dissatisfied with the soldierʼs words. He looked at the soldier and asked in an unhappy tone.

”Yes, Warden Lutz. Those two female devils are still fighting...”

”No matter how we persuade them, itʼs no use. As for threatening them with the rules... that is even more useless! They will even take out the rulebook to refute us.”

The soldier nodded, affirming Lutzʼs question.

”I remember there should have been quite a few people queuing behind them...”

”Do those people queuing have no complaints?”

Lutzʼs frown was very deep, and the wrinkles on his face were also very deep. These wrinkles had increased recently. It seemed Lutz had become much more overworked and much older because of the two female devils mentioned by the soldier.

”Reporting to the warden, at first, there were indeed some people queuing behind those two female devils. But after those people discovered that the assessment would never reach them, most of them already went back. They really couldnʼt afford to keep waiting. After all, they are Mages and have to rely on doing jobs to support their families. They canʼt keep wasting time here...”

The soldierʼs expression was helpless. He could only tell the truth and answer Lutzʼs question.

”Those two women keep occupying Joseʼs and Zeroʼs rooms. Is there no one protesting?”

”Are the others really so uninterested in becoming S-Class Mages recognized by the Magic Council?”

Lutzʼs brows wrinkled deeply as he continued asking the soldier.

”At first, there were people protesting...”

”But soon, no one protested anymore! Because the protesters were easily beaten up by those two female devils!”

The soldier looked helpless as he told Lutz the matter.

”There are so many people in their queue. Even all of them added together still couldnʼt beat those two girls?”

Lutz felt his head ache as though it were splitting. He looked at the soldier and asked coldly.

”They really didnʼt win...”

The soldier looked at Lutz and thought of something, then finally sighed helplessly.

The soldier was like a deflated ball, lowering his head while shaking it.

”Trash!”

”A bunch of trash! They canʼt even beat two little girls. How are they supposed to pass our assessment and become S-Class Mages?”

Lutz was furious, but there was nothing he could do.

Yes, ever since Fairy Tail came to BLACKVOX to participate in the S-Class Mage Promotion Trial, nearly four months had passed. During these four months, Kagura and the others had never left BLACKVOX. The daily routine of her and Seilah was eating, sleeping, beating Jose, or eating, sleeping, beating Zero...

Happy days often passed very quickly, so four months passed all at once!

During these four months, Kaguraʼs strength advanced by leaps and bounds. Her magic power had already firmly stabilized within the threshold of the Saints, which was Level Seven in Evanʼs system evaluation! As Kaguraʼs strength improved, deep down, she had already become somewhat unwilling to leave this place. After all, finding sparring partners like Jose or Zero, whose strength was stuck at the threshold of the Ten Wizard Saints, was truly not easy for Kagura.

For the current Kagura, compared to the monsters in the Fairy Tail guild who had already walked very far inside the gates of the Ten Wizard Saints, without a doubt, Jose and Zero, who had been constantly imprisoned and had not improved, were the most suitable battle opponents for her.

At the same time, because Kagura and Seilah occupied Joseʼs and Zeroʼs rooms long-term, the Mages who came later to challenge Jose and Zero could only queue, and the line grew longer and longer. Because in February, the Magic Council ERA finally announced that the Magic Council had begun to hold an official S-Class Mage Promotion Trial! As a result, it attracted many Mages from other guilds, as well as some wandering Mages who accepted jobs alone, to come and verify their own strength...

Some people wanted to see how long they could hold out in the hands of the Ten Wizard Saints. Of course, there were also some people who wanted to see whether they could pass the Magic Councilʼs S-Class Mage Promotion Trial...

However, after these people came to BLACKVOX, they actually discovered that they could not take the exam just because they came. They needed to queue and wait until the people in front finished before they could participate in the exam...

At first, this was nothing! After all, everyone was a person of quality. Queuing was not a big deal...

But human patience had its limits after all. As the queueing time became longer and longer, the line not only did not shorten, but instead increased! This caused dissatisfaction among many people. Among them, the protesters led by Natsu issued a challenge toward Kagura and Seilah. Unfortunately, in the end, all challengers were defeated!

Kagura and Seilah used their own strength to fully tell Natsu and the others what Saint-level combat strength was...

Therefore, after the Mages recognized clearly that their current strength was fundamentally insufficient to challenge Jose and Zero, they temporarily left the magical prison BLACKVOX and embarked on journeys of either training or completing jobs! And Joseʼs and Zeroʼs rooms were still occupied by Kagura and Seilah...

So much so that in the end, it was no longer the queued candidates who had headaches over this matter, but Lutz, the warden, who began to have headaches over Kagura and Seilah. After all, Councilor Tochi Andoba, his adoptive father, as well as his superior, would often ask about the assessment situation...

By now, Lutz had already begun to not know how he should report the assessment situation to the higher-ups.

Lutz could not exactly say to Tochi Andoba: ”Oh! My dear father~ I am truly sorry. The rules I created were found to have a loophole by two little girls, causing them to continuously exploit the BUG and turn the S-Class Mage exam into a practice field for them to train~”

Lutz believed that as long as he dared say that, his dear father would definitely look at him with a smile and say: ”Alright, my dear son~ Since the rules you created had a loophole found by two little girls, why donʼt you dig a hole in the prison and then jump into it? What I mean is, you can get lost from the warden position~”

”Hahaha...”

Thinking of this, Lutz revealed a bitter smile, his face full of distress.

The main thing was that when he created the rules, he really had not expected such a situation to happen!

It really was not that he did not understand human nature! The problem was, who could have thought that after someone passed the exam, they would still not be satisfied and would repeatedly participate in the exam? It was fundamentally impossible to think of?!

It could only be said that Lutz could not understand the thoughts of Fairy Tailʼs Mages, just as a normal person could never have the same empathy as a mental patient...

”Sigh...”

Thinking of this, Lutz looked out the window and sighed helplessly. Just like how he could not imagine someone repeatedly participating in the Magic Councilʼs S-Class Mage exam and even treating the exam as a kind of training to make themselves improve, he also could not understand the hearts of young girls. And at this moment, the one unable to understand a young girlʼs heart was also the current head of the Heartfilia family, who was rich enough to rival a region and could be called Ishgarʼs richest man...

Kingdom of Fiore, Heartfilia family old mansion.

”So what exactly is going on with that child Lucy?”

Jude sat in his office, gently rubbing his forehead, his expression carrying some helplessness and pain. No matter what, he could not understand why his daughter Lucy Heartfilia did not have the slightest appearance of a young lady. He completely did not understand whether Lucy, who was always mad and wanted to go out adventuring all day long, took after him or Layla.

Compared to Lucy, Jude was more optimistic about his adopted daughter Michelle. This girl not only inherited his business mind, but also inherited Laylaʼs elegance. It could be said that she was a completely flawless young lady and a perfect family heir. Sometimes, Jude even thought that if Lucy could be half as obedient as Michelle, it would be good.

Just as Jude collapsed in his office...

What he did not know was that a ”coup” was happening in the Heartfilia family!

”Sorry, Michelle~”

”After I successfully get out, I definitely wonʼt forget your kindness~”

Inside Michelleʼs room, Lucy wore a brown wig and used rope to tie up Michelle, whom she had painstakingly tricked into the room. At the same time, she used tape to stick Michelleʼs mouth shut.

And Lucy, who wore a brown wig, transformed into her ”biological younger sister” Michelle.

At this moment, Michelle herself was powerlessly struggling inside the room. She blinked her blue eyes and pitifully looked at Lucy, but there was nothing she could do. Michelleʼs strength was too small. She fundamentally could not break free from this hemp rope as thick as a finger.

Who made Evan still relatively weak when he attached a personality to Michelle back then, causing Michelle to only be an ordinary weak girl, with fundamentally not much magic power inside her body~

If the current Evan used Enchantment Magic to perform personality attachment, then perhaps right now, it would not be Michelle being tied up by Lucy, but Lucy being tied up by Michelle...

”Next is going to Motherʼs room and getting the keys done~”

As Lucy spoke, she gently patted Michelleʼs little head, then turned and left under Michelleʼs tearful eyes.

After Lucy left the room, she did not forget to gently close Michelleʼs bedroom door. As for whether Michelle would be discovered by Layla and the others, Lucy did not worry at all, because the servants of the Heartfilia family would enter the rooms to clean every day at five in the afternoon while the masters ate dinner. At that time, everything would come to light.

Lucy, who walked out of Michelleʼs room, was poised and graceful. She imitated Michelleʼs elegant steps and walked easily and freely through her own corridor. Lucy had at least lived with Michelle for seven or eight years, so she could imitate Michelleʼs walking posture very well. From afar, she looked just like Michelle herself.

”Good morning, Miss Michelle~”

”Miss Michelle, are you going to Madamʼs room to pay respects?”

”Madam has already gone to the dining room to have breakfast~”

Along the way, countless servants greeted Michelle, who was disguised by Lucy. It had to be said that Michelleʼs usual elegance was deeply rooted in peopleʼs hearts, and she received sincere love from countless servants of the Heartfilia family.

However, regarding the greetings of the surrounding servants, Lucy did not respond at all along the way. At most, she used her side profile to give all the servants greeting her a polite smile...

Because Lucy and Michelle themselves looked somewhat similar, if one only looked at half her face, and under the circumstance where Lucy had deliberately applied makeup imitating Michelleʼs, in lighting that was not particularly bright, the servants fundamentally could not distinguish whether the person in the corridor was Lucy or Michelle.

As a result, Lucy passed five trials and cut down six generals like this, walking all the way to the front of her mother Laylaʼs room, yet no one discovered that she was not Michelle, but Lucy~

”Inhale, exhale...”

Lucy looked at the door before her and took a deep breath. Next was the most critical moment. As long as she smoothly entered her motherʼs room, then took out the Celestial Spirit keys her mother placed in the cabinet, she could escape from this ”young lady” home and then begin her own adventure.

”Michelle...”

However, just as Lucyʼs slender jade hand happened to grip the doorknob of her mother Laylaʼs bedroom, a hoarse yet imposing voice suddenly sounded beside Lucyʼs ear.

”Uh...”

When Lucy heard the voice, her body stiffened slightly. This voice was far too familiar. It was none other than her dear father, the current acting head of the Heartfilia family, Jude Heartfilia.

By the way, Jude had married into the Heartfilia family, so he was the acting head. The current head of the Heartfilia family was still Layla Heartfilia herself.

”Are you going to pay respects to Layla? You child are too filial. I have said several times that you are just like the second daughter of me and Layla. There is no need to be so polite...”

Jude stood less than one meter away from Lucy and looked at Lucyʼs back as he spoke softly.

”Mm...”

Lucy did not turn around. She merely nodded lightly, while using her nose to make an incomparably small ”mm” sound.

”Forget it! You are sensible. I wonʼt interfere too much with your matters. As long as you understand in your heart, that is fine...”

”After you greet Layla, remember to call Lucy and go to the dining room together to eat.”

”Sigh, if Lucy could be as obedient as you, that would be good.”

Jude looked at Lucyʼs back and frowned. He kept feeling that todayʼs Michelle was somewhat wrong. However, Jude did not think too much. After all, young girls always had a few months each month when they were not quite right. He sighed softly and walked down the stairs toward his own dining room.

”Whew...”

”That scared me to death...”

Lucy turned sideways, looked at Jude leaving directly, and slowly breathed a sigh of relief.

Because Jude was busy with work, and the entire merchant guild relied on Jude alone to support it, Jude often lived in his office and frequently asked servants to send breakfast into the office to eat simply. Therefore, Lucy also could not predict when Jude would leave his room to eat.

”Not good! Father is going to the dining room now. He will definitely meet Mother. At that time, I will probably risk being exposed early! I donʼt have much time left...”

Lucy wiped the cold sweat that had seeped out from her forehead due to nervousness. Then she exerted force with both hands and pushed open the bedroom door before her.

”Whew~”

Laylaʼs room was very large, roughly more than three hundred square meters. Inside, it was further divided into three small rooms, namely a study, a bedroom, and a gym for exercise. Among them, the study occupied the largest area, taking up a full half of the room! Next was the bedroom, which was fully one hundred square meters. Its level of luxury was comparable to the sleeping palace where a queen lived. As for the room used for fitness, it was less than fifty square meters, but although small, it had everything needed. The fitness equipment inside was incomparably complete, fully enough to satisfy Laylaʼs needs for exercising alone.

If one was not familiar with Laylaʼs bedroom, wanting to find Celestial Spirit keys the size of lollipops would take at least half a day. But for Lucy, this was so easy~

After all, Lucy had grown up here since childhood. She was far too familiar with where her mother would put the Celestial Spirit keys.

Lucy quickly ran into Laylaʼs innermost bedroom, then opened the small drawer of Laylaʼs bedside cabinet. As the drawer opened, a string of shining keys naturally appeared before Lucyʼs eyes...

Lucy picked up the keys, her eyes flickering, and at the same time softly counted, ”This is the Celestial Spirit key of Capricorn, Capricorn. This is the key of Leo, Leo. This is the Celestial Spirit key of Cancer, Cancer, and finally the Celestial Spirit key of Aquarius, Aquarius. Motherʼs four keys of the Twelve Zodiac Gates are all here, not one missing~”

Yes, ever since Layla used the thirteen keys of the Twelve Zodiac Gates to successfully open the Eclipse Gate and fulfill the long-cherished wish of the Heartfilia family, she had not taken the opportunity to keep all the keys for herself. Instead, after leaving behind the three Celestial Spirit keys that belonged to her and the Celestial Spirit key of Leo, who stayed with her and refused to leave, she transferred the remaining nine keys, including the Ophiuchus Celestial Spirit key, to the Magic Council ERA, and requested ERA to return these keys to the true owners of these Celestial Spirit keys...

As for whether the Magic Council had carried out her wishes, Layla did not know...

”The keys are all here. Then next is the escape operation~”

Lucy suddenly placed one hand on her waist and made a ”yeah” sign behind her with the other hand, striking an energetic POSS, then spoke softly to the empty air.

”...”

For a moment, the atmosphere gradually became somewhat awkward!

However, Lucy did not feel anything was wrong. She tied the keys to her waist, and as she spoke, walked toward the window.

Laylaʼs room was on the third floor of the Heartfilia family mansion. This number of floors was nothing to Lucy.

”Hm?”

Just as Lucy walked to the windowsill, she seemed to notice something, and a trace of doubt flickered in her eyes.

On Laylaʼs windowsill was a family photo that Lucy did not really remember. In the photo, there was Layla, Jude, Brandish, Aunt Grammi, her younger sister Michelle, and a red-haired boy who she had some impression of but also felt incomparably unfamiliar with. However, Lucy did not pay too much attention. After all, Lucy and the others in the photo looked not very old, at most seven or eight years old. It had been too long, so Lucyʼs impression was not deep.

Besides that, there was also a strange-looking key placed on Laylaʼs windowsill.

”Is this also Motherʼs Celestial Spirit key? Which Celestial Spiritʼs key is this? Why do I have no impression of it at all?”

Lucy glanced at the photo, then directly picked up the key on the windowsill and began examining it.

At the same time...

Jude had already arrived in the dining room, and then he saw Layla sitting in the dining room, enjoying breakfast alone.

”Good morning, dear~”

After Layla saw Jude, she picked up the napkin beside her and gently wiped the corner of her mouth.

”Hm?!”

Jude looked at Layla, who had already arrived at the dining room, and frowned.

He suddenly felt somewhat panicked, as if something bad was about to happen...

”What is it, dear~”

Layla looked at Jude and raised her brows, asking softly.

”Layla, have you seen Lucy? As long as that child is out of our sight for a while, it feels like she will cause some big news...”

Jude pinched the bridge of his slightly sore nose, then sat beside Layla and asked softly.

”Lucy? As for Lucy, I asked Michelle to call that child. I believe she will come soon, right?”

Hearing this, Layla smiled gently.

”Oh! You asked Michelle to call Lucy! Then I can relax...”

After hearing Laylaʼs words, Jude breathed a sigh of relief and revealed a calm smile. The name Michelle was like a tranquilizer pill, preventing Jude from becoming uneasy. However, just as Jude breathed a sigh of relief, his brain suddenly trembled.

Wait, according to Laylaʼs meaning, she should have already seen Michelle. In other words, Michelle had already paid respects to Layla in the morning. Since Michelle knew Layla was not in her room right now, then she should not go to Laylaʼs room again...

Then the question was, who was that sneaky Michelle standing at Laylaʼs door just now?

”Could it be...”

A trace of realization suddenly flashed through Judeʼs expression. He immediately stood up from his seat. His legs straightened and pushed away the chair behind him, creating an ear-piercing sound on the ground. However, none of that was important. What was important was that the bad premonition in Judeʼs heart seemed about to come true.

”Not good...”

Jude did not have time to say much to Layla. He ignored his image and ran upstairs.

”Oh my~”

”Be careful, dear~”

Layla looked at the running Jude and smiled gently. Then she continued sitting elegantly in her seat, drinking the fragrant coffee ground fresh that morning. In fact, the Heartfilia family, which had been passed down for four hundred years, generally drank black tea in the morning, that is, morning tea. However, in order to fit Judeʼs habit, Layla had changed the morning black tea to coffee.

As for the small conflict between Jude and Lucy, Layla was very clear in her heart. She just did not care...

What conflict could there be between father and daughter? It was only that this father and daughter were both not good at communicating. Sooner or later, they would understand each other~

At the same time, Jude was rushing upstairs while roaring, ”Lucy! Lucy, come out!!”

”Lucy!!”

”Lucy, where are you?”

”Hurry and come out! I have already discovered your secret...”

Inside Laylaʼs room, just as Lucy held the key and continuously examined it, Judeʼs roar suddenly came from behind her.

”Damn it, Iʼve been exposed!” A trace of anxiety flashed through Lucyʼs eyes, but she did not care. Instead, she opened the faucet in Laylaʼs bathroom on her own. At the same time, she stretched her right hand toward the faucet and softly said, ”Shape Magic personally taught by Brandish! Enlarge!”

As Lucyʼs voice fell...

That faucet instantly became a hundred times larger! For a moment, endless water sprayed out from the faucet...

”Splash, splash, splash...”

For a moment, Lucyʼs body was instantly washed by this water. The dress on Lucyʼs body was drenched by the water and tightly stuck to Lucyʼs body, making Lucyʼs underwear appear somewhat see-through. However, Lucy did not care. She took off the dress on her body, revealing the sexy bikini wrapped inside the dress. Yes, everything happening right now was within Lucyʼs plan.

Outside Laylaʼs room, Jude had already stood before the door. Blue veins bulged on his forehead, and he forcefully opened the door of the room Lucy was in.

”Splash, splash...”

However, what waited for Jude was not Lucyʼs usual prank, but endless water...

In an instant, Jude was turned into a drowned rat by the water that had already filled the room. Because every room of the Heartfilia family had been enchanted with magic, as long as Jude did not open the door, not a single drop of water would leak out. But once Jude opened the door, what greeted him was a tsunami-like water flow.

”Lucy!!”

”Have you gone insane, girl? Hurry and stop this!”

Caught off guard, swallowed by the water flow, and only because his back leaned against the corridor railing did he not fall down the stairs from the third floor, Judeʼs anger had now reached its peak. He glared angrily at Lucy, who was wearing a sexy bikini inside the room, and roared.

”No can do, Father~”

”Your daughter can no longer stop. No one can stop me from stepping into the world of magic!”

”Goodbye, my father~”

”Open! Gate of the Water Bearer, Aquarius!”

Lucy stood inside the room, looked at Jude outside the door, blinked, then directly opened the Gate of the Water Bearer through the water accumulated on the ground.

”Splash...”

As Lucy activated Celestial Spirit Magic, accompanied by streams of beautiful water, a sexy mermaid appeared inside Laylaʼs bedroom just like that. The mermaid had long azure hair, sapphire-blue eyes, and her human upper body had a full figure and charming face. Her fish lower body was not ugly, but instead added a few different kinds of temptation. However, the bulging veins on the mermaidʼs delicate face destroyed the overall beauty of the mermaid.

”Lucy, how many times have I told you! Donʼt summon me inside rooms!”

This beautiful mermaid, whose face had bulging veins and who looked like a big sister of society, stretched out her delicate hand and grabbed Lucyʼs head. Immediately, red slowly flowed from Lucyʼs forehead...

”Sorry...”

Lucy looked at the beautiful mermaid before her and apologized.

”If apologies were useful, what would soldiers be for?”

The mermaid looked viciously at Lucy and questioned her.

”Aquarius! Hurry and subdue Lucy. Donʼt let her escape!”

At this time, Jude suddenly sat up from the ground and issued orders to the beautiful mermaid before him.

”Hm?”

When the mermaid heard this, a trace of dissatisfaction flashed across her delicate face. Then she raised the jeweled jar in her hand toward Lucy.

”Hey, hey, hey! Youʼre serious?”

Lucy looked at the mermaidʼs raised hands, and the corner of her eye twitched slightly.

”Off you go!!”

As she spoke, the mermaid gathered magic power with both hands, then swung it toward Lucy.

”Boom!!”

Accompanied by a roar, endless magic power was released from the mermaidʼs hands. The violent water flow rolled Lucy up and threw her out the window of Laylaʼs room.

”Ah!!!”

”Didnʼt expect it, did you? This is my, Lucyʼs, escape route~”

Lucy flew high in the air wearing a bikini. At this moment, her consciousness was already unclear, but she still roared wildly as though provoking her father.

”Lucy!!”

Jude looked at Lucy taking off, and the corner of his eye twitched. He shouted loudly.

Unfortunately, Lucy could no longer hear Judeʼs words.

”Aquarius, why did you help Lucy?”

Jude looked weakly at the escaping Lucy and then looked toward Aquarius inside the room.

”Yeah? Why, I wonder?”

Aquarius opened one eye and closed one eye as she glanced at Jude, then turned into light and disappeared from the spot.

At the same time...

Inside Michelleʼs room, Michelle, who had successfully freed herself by relying on her own strength, looked at Lucy flying in the sky outside the window and revealed a smile.

”This really is an escape method very suitable for you, Lucy!”

”Leave the Heartfilia family side to me. Go pursue your dream with peace of mind! My dear older sister~”

”Fly high from now on! Lucy! There is already nothing in this world that can trap you...”

Michelle looked at Lucy, stretched out her little hand, and waved it gently.

”Thank you, Aquarius~”

”Thank you, Brandish~”

”Thank you, Michelle~”

Lucy flew in midair, her body falling toward the distant lake. At this moment, in her heart, she silently thanked the companions who had always helped her along this way.