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[FT: O King of the Fairies] Chapter 67
🕑 Added 2025-04-09 14:45:01 +0000 UTCThe hum of Avalon’s engines was steady—until it wasn’t.
A sudden jolt rocked the airship, sending a tremor through the metal floor. Loose items rattled, and outside the viewing window, the sky flickered with bursts of strange, shifting light. The air around them seemed distorted, like heat rising off pavement, but in all directions.
Gildarts, who had been lazily leaning against a wall, immediately straightened up. "So, uh… the ship isn’t supposed to shake like that, right?"
I kept my eyes on the controls, my hands flying over the dashboard. "No, Gildarts, that means we’re probably about to crash."
"Oh, good." Ur stretched her arms above her head, completely unbothered. "I was getting bored anyway."
Before I could snap at her, another violent lurch nearly threw us all off our feet.
Gildarts slammed a hand against the wall to steady himself. "Alright, now I know that wasn’t just my imagination."
I muttered a curse under my breath as I studied the readings. Avalon’s sensors were going haywire. Some kind of massive magical disturbance was spreading out in front of us like a shifting wall.
"What the hell is this?" I narrowed my eyes at the display. "NIMO, analysis."
The AI flickered to life, projecting a map of our surroundings. "Unstable magical turbulence detected. High levels of spatial distortion. Probability of severe flight disruption: 86%."
"Flight disruption?" Gildarts snorted. "Why not just say ‘we’re screwed’?"
"We are not ‘screwed,’" I shot back. "It’s just a bit of magical turbulence."
Another thud rattled the ship. This time, a few metal panels creaked ominously.
Ur glanced out the window, unimpressed. "Yeah. ‘A bit.’ Sure."
I gritted my teeth and started rerouting power to the stabilizers. "NIMO, give me a flight path through this mess."
"Processing…" The holographic map shifted, drawing a dotted line through the chaos. "Suggested course marked. Minimal risk of catastrophic failure: 29%."
"Oh, fantastic." I groaned. "Love those odds."
"Do you even know how to fly this thing?" Ur asked.
"Of course I know how to fly it." I immediately turned a dial the wrong way, causing the ship to tilt harder to one side.
Ur and Gildarts both grabbed onto whatever was nearby.
Gildarts gave me a deadpan look. "Uh-huh. Yeah. Looks like it."
Ur just sighed. "Let me know if I should start punching the air to stabilize us."
I ignored them both, pulling the controls back to steady Avalon. The ship groaned in protest but obeyed.
"Alright, we just need to—" Before I could finish, the ship suddenly dropped.
Gildarts swore as we all briefly went weightless. "Aiden, what the hell?!"
"Not my fault!" I yelled back. "That was the storm!"
Ur rolled her eyes. "Great. We’re going to die because Aiden pissed off the weather."
I shot her a glare. "You wanna fly this thing?"
"Nope. I'm good."
"Then shut up and hold on."
Another blast of magical distortion sent us spinning slightly. Sparks flickered from one of the control panels.
"Warning: Engine strain reaching critical levels," NIMO reported.
"Of course it is." I grimaced.
Gildarts patted the wall of the ship. "Come on, girl, hold together."
"Talking to it isn’t going to help!" I snapped.
"You don’t know that!"
Ur shook her head. "This is the most Fairy Tail way to die. Flying a ship we barely understand into magical death winds."
"We’re not dying!" I yelled.
"Yet," she added helpfully.
I yanked the ship into a hard turn, narrowly dodging a burst of energy that looked way too much like a miniature explosion. The storm raged around us, but I was starting to see a pattern in the chaos.
"NIMO, adjust flight path by 14 degrees, drop altitude by 200 meters!"
The AI beeped. "Adjusting course. Warning: Maneuver classified as ‘reckless.’"
"Yeah, well, welcome to my life," I muttered, forcing the controls down.
The ship tilted, cutting through a pocket of clearer air. The turbulence eased—slightly.
Ur smirked. "I take it back. We might actually survive."
"Oh, so now you have faith?" I shot back.
"No, but I’d like to be optimistic before we die."
Gildarts grinned. "That’s the spirit!"
After what felt like an eternity, the worst of the storm finally faded. The ship steadied, the rattling quieted, and for the first time in minutes, I could actually unclench my jaw.
I exhaled. "See? Told you we’d be fine."
Gildarts wiped imaginary sweat from his brow. "Yeah, that was totally under control."
Ur stretched. "That was fun. Let’s do it again."
I turned to glare at both of them. "Shut up."
The turbulence finally eased as Avalon stabilized, the interference no longer shaking the ship like a ragdoll. Outside the windows, the sky was eerily calm—too calm.
"Well, that was fun," Gildarts muttered, stretching his arms. "So, are we still crashing, or did we dodge that one?"
"For now, we’re good," I replied, fingers moving across Avalon’s control panel. "But that interference wasn’t natural. Someone—or something—was trying to throw us off course."
Ur narrowed her eyes. "And we still don’t know who."
"We will soon," I said, refocusing on NIMO’s display. The magical trail was becoming clearer now, like a beacon calling us forward. "We’re getting close. Ultear’s signal is just ahead."
The tension in the air shifted.
Ur leaned in, staring at the coordinates on the holographic map. Her fingers curled into a fist at her side, and for the first time since we started tracking, her voice was quieter.
"She’s really there?"
I glanced at her. "Yeah. We’re almost there."
Gildarts exhaled, running a hand through his hair. "Alright then. What’s the plan? We just dropping in and saying hello?"
Ur didn’t answer immediately. Her gaze remained locked on the screen, her usual sharp confidence wavering just slightly.
I adjusted our heading, eyes narrowing as I watched the map. The closer we got, the more uneasy I felt.
"Something’s not right."
I tapped a command into Avalon’s control panel. "NIMO, scan the surrounding area for any hidden threats. Anything cloaked, magically concealed, or just plain suspicious."
The AI’s interface flickered before responding. "Initiating wide-range scan. Standby."
Gildarts leaned back, arms crossed. "So, what are the odds we’re flying straight into an ambush?"
Ur shot him a flat look. "Considering we’re tracking my daughter, who was taken by people who don’t want to be found? I’d say the odds are fantastic."
"Great, just what I wanted to hear," Gildarts muttered.
NIMO’s display suddenly highlighted several anomalies in the airspace ahead.
"Scan complete. Multiple traces of lingering magic detected—high-density, non-natural sources. Possible concealment spells or remnants of magical activity."
I frowned. "Can you pinpoint their nature? Are they active defenses or just residue?"
"Analysis suggests a combination of both. Some traces appear old, while others indicate recent activity. Caution is advised."
Ur exhaled sharply. "So, in other words, we have no idea if we’re about to get shot out of the sky."
"Pretty much," I said. "But we don’t have much choice. We’re not turning back now."
Gildarts smirked. "Well, worst case scenario, we crash and survive out of pure stubbornness."
"Not helping," Ur deadpanned.
I adjusted Avalon’s course slightly. "Alright, let’s proceed with caution. We stay on course, but we’re ready for anything."
As Avalon soared over the dense treetops, the signal we'd been tracking came into full view.
A massive, dark airship loomed below, partially hidden within the misty valley. Its design was sleek yet ominous, covered in eerie engravings pulsing with dark energy. The insignia on the side confirmed what I already suspected—Grimoire Heart.
I let out a slow breath. "Well… that’s not ominous at all."
Ur’s grip on the railing tightened as she stared down at the airship. Her expression was unreadable, but I could see the tension in her posture.
Gildarts, on the other hand, whistled. "Damn. That’s a hell of a ship. Ours is cooler, though."
"Focus, Gildarts," I muttered, keeping Avalon at a steady hover. "They have Ultear. We need to figure out our next move."
NIMO’s interface flickered as it completed another scan. "No active anti-air defenses detected. However, multiple magical signatures are present inside the vessel."
Ur exhaled sharply. "So they’re just sitting there? What, waiting for something?"
"Or someone," I said, narrowing my eyes. "They’re not moving, which means they don’t know we’re here yet."
Gildarts cracked his knuckles. "Then I say we introduce ourselves."
Ur scoffed. "You mean crash into them like an idiot?"
"I was thinking more of a ‘dramatic entrance,’" Gildarts corrected with a grin.
"No crashing Avalon," I stated firmly. "Let’s at least try to be subtle before we go breaking things."
Ur crossed her arms. "And what’s your brilliant plan, then?"
I smirked. "We sneak aboard."
Gildarts blinked. "Oh. We’re doing the quiet approach first?"
"I know, shocking," I muttered. "But if we can get inside without setting off alarms, we might be able to find Ultear before a fight breaks out."
Ur glanced back at the airship, her expression darkening. "Fine. But the second things go south, I’m not holding back."
"Wouldn’t expect anything less," I said, adjusting Avalon’s altitude. "Let’s get in close. Time to pay Grimoire Heart a visit."
With a simple mental command, I activated Avalon’s cloaking capabilities. A faint ripple passed over the airship’s hull before it vanished entirely, blending seamlessly into the night sky.
Ur let out a low whistle. "Alright, I’ll admit—that’s impressive."
Gildarts glanced around. "So… we’re invisible now?"
"Yup," I confirmed. "No visual, no magic signature, nothing. As far as they’re concerned, we don’t exist."
Ur crossed her arms. "Alright, genius. We’re in position. What’s the plan?"
We gathered near Avalon’s control deck, with NIMO projecting a live map of the enemy airship. The holographic display showed several heat signatures moving around inside.
Ur examined the map. "Best entrance?"
"Maintenance hatch on the side," I pointed. "No guards, no security runes. If we slip in fast enough, they won’t even realize we’re there."
Gildarts stroked his chin. "And if they do?"
"Then we improvise."
Ur shook her head. "Of course that’s your plan."
Ignoring her, I reached into my Celestial Inventory and pulled out three identical cloaks. They shimmered like liquid darkness, warping the air around them.
I tossed one to each of them. "Put these on."
Gildarts unfolded his with curiosity. "What, like invisibility cloaks?"
I smirked. "Not just any invisibility cloaks. These hide everything—your presence, your magic signature, even your scent. You could walk right past someone and they wouldn’t see you."
Ur raised a skeptical brow. "And you just had these?"
"You’d be amazed at what I’ve got lying around," I said, slipping my own on. The moment it settled over my shoulders, the world warped around me, and I disappeared completely.
Gildarts tested his, waving his hand in front of his face. "Hah! That’s wild. I can’t even see my own fingers!"
Ur adjusted hers, eyes narrowing. "Feels weird. Like I’m not even here."
"That’s the point," I said. "But keep your steps light—these won’t hide sound if you’re stomping around like a damn ogre."
Gildarts sighed. "So no explosions, got it."
Ur rolled her eyes. "Let’s move before I strangle both of you."
With that, we activated our cloaks and prepared to board Grimoire Heart’s airship—silent, invisible, and completely undetectable.
We moved in complete silence, Avalon hovering just close enough for us to leap onto the enemy airship. The cloaks kept us hidden, but we still had to be careful—any sudden noise, any wrong step, and this whole mission would turn into a full-blown battle.
I landed first, crouching against the cold metal of Grimoire Heart’s hull. Ur followed with practiced ease, her movements precise and controlled. Gildarts… well.
Thud.
A muffled grunt.
I turned, my eye twitching. Gildarts had landed with all the grace of a collapsing bookshelf, one hand slamming into the metal to steady himself.
Ur and I both snapped our heads toward a nearby walkway—where a patrol was passing.
A single dark mage, barely ten feet away.
He froze.
We froze.
He squinted into the darkness, shifting uneasily. "…What the hell was that?"
Gildarts didn’t breathe. Ur barely twitched a finger toward her sword.
I, meanwhile, had a thought. A simple, effective thought.
I reached down, picked up a small loose bolt from the ship’s hull, and flicked it in the opposite direction. It clattered loudly against the far end of the deck.
The guard’s head snapped toward the sound. He muttered something under his breath and started walking toward it, his attention completely diverted.
The moment he was far enough, I turned to Gildarts and hissed, "Are you trying to get us killed?"
He grumbled. "Not my fault this thing’s slippery—"
Ur jabbed him in the ribs. "Shut. Up."
Gildarts sighed but gave a thumbs-up.
Crisis averted. Barely.
I motioned for us to move, leading them toward the maintenance hatch. This time, no one tripped.
We reached the entrance, and with one last glance around, I silently opened the hatch.
Time to head inside.
We moved in complete silence, Avalon hovering just close enough for us to leap onto the enemy airship. The cloaks kept us hidden, but we still had to be careful—any sudden noise, any wrong step, and this whole mission would turn into a full-blown battle.
I landed first, crouching against the cold metal of Grimoire Heart’s hull. Ur followed with practiced ease, her movements precise and controlled. Gildarts… well.
Thud.
A muffled grunt.
I turned, my eye twitching. Gildarts had landed with all the grace of a collapsing bookshelf, one hand slamming into the metal to steady himself.
Ur and I both snapped our heads toward a nearby walkway—where a patrol was passing.
A single dark mage, barely ten feet away.
He froze.
We froze.
He squinted into the darkness, shifting uneasily. "…What the hell was that?"
Gildarts didn’t breathe. Ur barely twitched a finger toward her sword.
I, meanwhile, had a thought. A simple, effective thought.
I reached down, picked up a small loose bolt from the ship’s hull, and flicked it in the opposite direction. It clattered loudly against the far end of the deck.
The guard’s head snapped toward the sound. He muttered something under his breath and started walking toward it, his attention completely diverted.
But Ur wasn’t taking any chances.
She lifted a single finger, and a barely visible frost spread across the metal beneath the patrol’s boots. As soon as he stepped forward—
Slip.
With a sharp yelp, the dark mage faceplanted onto the deck, groaning in pain. His staff clattered away, and he lay there, dazed.
Gildarts smirked. "That was smooth."
Ur gave him a dry look. "Unlike you."
I motioned for them to keep moving before the idiot woke up.
Reaching the maintenance hatch, Ur pressed a palm against the lock, ice creeping into the mechanism. With a soft crack, the frozen lock shattered, and she silently pushed it open.
Time to head inside.
