Mercurius Palace, long and spacious underground passage.
Magic lamps illuminated the passage, casting light on the neatly paved brick floor. Towering knight statues, ten meters tall on both sides, exuded an air of majesty and solemnity.
The sound of slightly hurried footsteps approached, echoing through the quiet, enclosed space.
Led by Princess Hisui, Chase, Lucy, Future Lucy, Future Yukino, Mirajane, and Erza walked along the passage leading to the Eclipse Gate's storage chamber.
The Grand Magic Games were over, and there was no need to hide anything anymore with the dragon battle ahead. So Chase had simply brought both Lucys along.
Multiple Celestial Spirit Mages would reduce the difficulty and strain of opening the Eclipse Gate, greatly improving controllability.
"I never expected there to be two Miss Lucys."
Future Yukino, wearing her sergeant uniform, couldn't help but remark, her gaze darting between the two Lucys.
Though she had heard of the parallel world Edolas, walking beside two identical people was still bewildering and fascinating.
So which one had been the one to refuse her Celestial Spirit Keys that night?
"Ahaha, to be honest, I was pretty shocked when I found out too," Lucy said with a nervous laugh.
This was the first time she and Future Lucy had appeared together in front of an outsider. She still wasn't quite used to it.
"Speaking of which, will the Eclipse Project really go smoothly?" Future Lucy frowned, her eyes flickering with worry and unease.
On the way here, Chase had explained the full details of the Eclipse Project to them, including the insane plan to travel back four hundred years and fight tens of thousands of dragons.
Future Lucy had been terrified, nearly crying. She had experienced firsthand just how hopeless dragon power could be.
Without the First Master's Ultra-Magic protecting them, everyone on Tenrou Island would have been annihilated without a trace!
In comparison, though the equally timid Lucy was also nervous, she wasn't panicking to the point of being unable to sit still.
Having often gone to the card space to interact with Gandora the Dragon of Destruction, she was much more familiar with dragons than Future Lucy.
And more importantly, if her card-nerd brother had decided to do this, then nothing bad would happen to any of them!
Though he was sometimes unreliable and loved to prank people, Lucy believed in him completely on this one point.
"The existence of your counterpart from another world proves that crossing timelines is real."
Princess Hisui looked seriously at Future Lucy. "As the daughter of Master Layla, you should understand the Eclipse Plan's feasibility better than anyone."
As Fiore's wealthiest conglomerate, the Heartfilia family had long-standing business partnerships with the Fiore royal family. Combined with the Eclipse Gate's special existence, Layla had occasionally visited the capital with Jude to meet King Toma. The relationship between the families was good.
Princess Hisui had first noticed and started learning Celestial Spirit Magic back then, and had received guidance from Layla as well.
So calling her "Master" wasn't an exaggeration.
"Mother..."
The familiar name made both Lucys pause.
Hisui immediately realized she'd said something wrong. "I'm sorry."
"It's alright."
Lucy shook her head and looked up at the light appearing at the end of the passage. "I will open that gate."
"The Eclipse Gate. The gate my mother once opened." Future Lucy unconsciously clenched her fists.
Compared to the "transporter" Lucy, the "local" Lucy thought of much more.
If Chase and the others hadn't accidentally traveled to this world, if she had been kidnapped during the Grand Magic Games and her Zodiac Keys stolen, if Princess Hisui had recklessly opened the Eclipse Gate without anyone noticing...
Then tens of thousands of dragons from four hundred years ago would have appeared in the Fiore Kingdom, bringing catastrophic destruction to the entire world!
And the first to be affected would undoubtedly be all of them in Crocus.
All her guildmates and friends would perish beneath the dragons' roars.
Just imagining that scene made Future Lucy's body tremble uncontrollably with fear.
In her panic and distress, her hand was gently held.
"Don't worry. We're right here with you," Erza said with a smile, still wrapped in bandages.
Mirajane placed her hands on the hem of her red dress and also offered reassurance. "Just treat this as an exciting adventure. It's a valuable experience, isn't it?"
In Chase's plan, he didn't actually need the two of them to accompany him for the Eclipse Gate opening phase. It would have been better for them to stay in Mercurius like Natsu and the others to recover their strength.
But they insisted on seeing the Eclipse Gate, so Chase had reluctantly agreed.
Looking at the worried Future Lucy, Princess Hisui and Future Yukino were confused.
Though there was some risk, the Celestial Spirit Mages were only responsible for opening the gate.
The task of traveling back four hundred years to kill Acnologia and Zeref before they grew powerful would be handled by the Direwolf Knights and the Cherry Blossom Holy Knights. Why did they look so scared?
"We're here," Chase said, interrupting their thoughts.
The space opened up before them. In the center of the vast underground chamber stood a massive gate made of special materials.
On the gate's face, a sun-shaped pattern was divided into twelve sections, each with a dark slot corresponding to the Zodiac.
An oppressive, cold, and ominous aura emanated from it.
Though it was still sealed, the moment they stepped into the chamber, Lucy and the others could sense their magic power becoming disordered, flowing uncontrollably toward the ancient gate!
This was the terror of the forbidden Black Magic: the Eclipse Gate. It was also the "truth" that Future Jellal and Future Ultear had been investigating for seven years!
Chase stopped. He grasped the Dark Magician's staff from the void and planted it into the ground.
HUM!
A dark purple energy barrier expanded, shielding everyone within.
Back during the S-Class trial preparations on Tenrou Island, the Dark Magician had already studied Zeref's Black Magic extensively. Simply blocking the Eclipse Gate's influence was easy.
"To think Mr. Chase could even do this," Princess Hisui said, a little surprised.
"One of my card companions is well-versed in Black Magic."
Chase waved his hand, unwilling to explain further to this stubborn, headstrong princess.
Ahead, flanking the Eclipse Gate on both sides, stood fully armed kingdom guards.
The Knight Commander, clad in silver-white armor, walked over. After casting a curious glance at the dark purple barrier, he gave a slight bow to Princess Hisui. "Princess."
"Arcadios, is everything ready?" Hisui asked.
"Yes. All troops are in position. The Direwolf Knights are on their way."
Arcadios gripped the sword at his waist. "Once the Eclipse Gate successfully opens, His Majesty will issue the request to the guild mages."
Hisui nodded and turned to the two Lucys and Future Yukino. "How about the three of you?"
"No problem. Ready to go anytime!" Lucy and Future Lucy said in unison.
Each held five Zodiac Keys to share the burden.
"I'm ready too." Future Yukino displayed her Pisces and Libra Keys.
"Then we just wait for the midnight bell," Princess Hisui said, her gaze fixed on the Eclipse Gate with solemn determination.
***
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