"Solved?" Happy slowly flew to Marcus's side.
Marcus nodded.
Just then, Lucy's communication Lacrima lit up, and Gray's voice came through: "Lucy, things are a bit strange on my side. The ghosts keep running towards the outskirts, as if they're deliberately trying to lure me away from the town."
Almost simultaneously, Natsu's voice also came from the Lacrima: "Damn it! This guy is fast! Wait... it stopped?"
Erza's voice cut in: "All teams, pay attention. We're encountering a similar situation here. The ghosts seem to be systematically trying to scatter our forces. I suggest we immediately return to the City Hall and regroup."
Lucy and Marcus exchanged glances: "It seems things aren't that simple..."
By the time everyone regrouped in front of the City Hall, it was completely dark.
Erza's armor had some purple stains, and Cana held several cards defensively in her hand.
"How were things on your end?" Erza asked.
Natsu said, huffing: "The opponent can sneak in the shadows. I chased it for half a day, but it still got away!"
Gray added: "The behavior patterns of these ghosts are too abnormal. It's almost as if they're..."
"Executing some kind of plan." Yukino suddenly spoke, having arrived at the meeting point at some unknown time. "All the ghosts in the Residential Area moved in the same direction in the end."
Erza pondered for a moment: "I suspect someone is controlling these ghosts from behind."
Just then, the City Hall bell suddenly rang.
Everyone looked up at the clock tower in unison—only to see a purple figure, much larger than the other ghosts, floating there. Its eyes glowed with an eerie purple light, seemingly watching the Mages below.
"What... is that..." Lucy felt a chill.
The giant ghost slowly raised its hand, and dozens of smaller ghosts gathered from all directions.
It let out a piercing shriek, and all the small ghosts immediately dispersed, disappearing into various parts of the town once more.
Cana gripped her soda bottle: "Is this a show of defiance to us?"
Marcus narrowed his eyes, "The opponent's ghosts don't harm ordinary citizens, they only harass. It looks like they're coming for us."
Erza tightened her grip on her sword hilt: "Whatever it is, we must get to the bottom of it tomorrow. For tonight, let's go back and rest. We'll continue the investigation first thing in the morning."
On the way back to the guild, Lucy felt uneasy.
That giant purple-eyed ghost gave her a terrifying feeling... "Hey, Lucy! Don't space out!" Natsu's voice pulled her back to reality. "Sister Mira said there's special grilled meat tonight!"
Looking at the energetic backs of her companions, Lucy's mood lightened a little... The morning sunlight streamed through the curtain gap into the girls' dormitory. Lucy frowned, turned over, and buried her face in her pillow.
The image of that purple-eyed ghost from last night had been lingering in her mind, causing her to not sleep well all night.
"Lucy! Wake up!" Happy patted her cheek with his paw. "Everyone's waiting downstairs!"
Lucy reluctantly opened her eyes: "What time is it...?"
"It's already eight o'clock!" Happy tugged at her blanket. "Natsu said if you don't come soon, he'll eat all the breakfast!"
This sentence worked like magic. Lucy sprang up in a flash: "What? Those are Sister Mira's special blueberry muffins!"
Ten minutes later, Lucy, with a messy head of blonde hair, rushed into the guild hall.
Sure enough, Natsu already had five empty plates stacked in front of him and was attacking the sixth.
"Natsu! Leave one for me!" Lucy wailed, pouncing on the dining table.
Gray elegantly sipped his coffee: "Too late, this guy even ate Marcus's share."
Marcus nodded aggrievedly, with only a lonely glass of milk in front of him.
Erza tapped the table, bringing everyone's attention back: "Everyone saw what happened last night. Those ghosts are clearly acting in an organized manner."
Cana took a swig of soda: "That big guy with the purple eyes looks very strong."
Levy pushed up her glasses and opened her notebook: "I researched all night. Such intelligent ghosts are very rare. According to the 'Necromancy Bestiary,' the last time a similar situation occurred was seven years ago."
"Seven years ago?" Lucy bit into the half-muffin she had managed to salvage. "What happened then?"
"A Necromancer tried to control a small town with a ghost army," Yukino said softly. "It was eventually suppressed by the Magic Council's forces."
Natsu swallowed his last bite of food: "Whoever it is, if they dare to cause trouble in Magnolia, I'll burn them to ashes!"
Erza stood up: "Today, we need to change our strategy. Since the ghosts actively avoid us, we'll ambush them in groups."
She spread out a map of the town: "Natsu and Lucy will cover the east side of the Central Plaza; Gray and Happy will be on the west side; Cana, Levy, and I will form a mobile team; Marcus and Yukino will continue to monitor the Residential Area."
"Remember," Erza added sternly, "send a signal immediately if you spot the purple-eyed ghost. Do not act alone."
At noon, Lucy and Natsu squatted on the roof of a dessert shop on the east side of the Central Plaza.
Lucy observed the plaza's movements through binoculars, while Natsu idly played with his flames.
"So slow..." Natsu yawned. "Could these ghosts be scared of me?"
Lucy rolled her eyes: "Can you be quiet? We're on an ambush here."
Just then, three faint purple figures appeared in Lucy's binoculars.
"They're here!" She lowered her voice. "Three o'clock direction, three ordinary ghosts."
Natsu immediately perked up: "Finally! Watch this—"
"Wait!" Lucy pulled him back. "Stick to the plan! Notify the others first!"
She pulled out her communication Lacrima: "Gray, targets in the plaza, prepare to act."
Gray's reply came through the Lacrima: "Received. I've also spotted two approaching the fountain."
Natsu impatiently stomped his foot: "What are we waiting for? Let's go!"
Lucy was about to object when she suddenly noticed the ghosts' abnormal behavior.
They weren't wandering around like yesterday, but were gathered around the fountain, as if waiting for something.
"Something's not right..." Lucy frowned. "They seem to be..."
Before she could finish, five ghosts simultaneously turned in one direction, then uniformly floated towards the west side of the town.
"What's going on?" Natsu's eyes widened.
Gray's urgent voice suddenly came through the communication Lacrima: "They've all run to the west outskirts! Requesting backup!"
Lucy and Natsu immediately jumped off the roof and chased after them.
When they arrived at the west outskirts, they saw Gray and Happy surrounded by seven ghosts.
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