"Natsu, watch out for his smoke!"
Carla kept her eyes fixed on Haku's every movement as she warned him.
Natsu brought his fists together and grinned.
"No problem! Fighting alongside you sounds fun, Carla. I'm all fired up!"
"Fire Dragon's Roar!"
Haku blurred out of the way, then tilted his head and narrowed his eyes.
"Doll Magic isn't the only thing I can use, you know."
"He's fast!"
Natsu frowned. Even with his exceptional eyesight, he had failed to follow Haku's movements just now.
Haku was considerate enough to explain it for him.
"White Tiger Dragon Slayer Magic specializes in speed."
...
The labyrinth contained countless forks, dead ends, and traps.
Sometimes two paths would appear, with one covered in loose rubble while the other offered a smooth, unobstructed floor.
Raizel had been leaving hidden markers as he explored, placing them low in the corners of the walls.
The problem was that the labyrinth was already filled with old markings left by previous explorers.
Even with his own signs to guide him, he somehow found himself returning to a passage he had already crossed.
He looked between the two paths—one paved with even stone, the other littered with broken rock.
"The rubble might be there to subtly push people toward the other path..."
"Most people would instinctively choose the smoother route because it looks easier to walk through."
Raizel then noticed something else.
A new symbol had appeared on the wall: a circle overlapping an X.
He was certain it had not been there before. Leaning closer, he could still smell faint traces of fresh ink.
"Looks like someone else got lost nearby. And it isn't anyone from our guild."
Raizel, Ultear, and the others had their own familiar system of markings.
Natsu, naturally, had never once considered doing anything so sensible.
This time, Raizel chose the passage covered in rubble.
...
Ultear and Mira had not become lost, but they had encountered one rolling boulder after another, along with hidden pits and other traps.
"Why are we running again...?"
Ultear bent over with both hands on her knees, panting after they narrowly escaped a boulder taller than either of them.
Mira tapped one finger against her cheek.
"This labyrinth really does feel almost alive..."
Ultear nodded.
"Exactly. It's supposedly nothing more than a labyrinth formed from Dogramag's remains, yet it has traps and constantly branching passages."
"At least there aren't any monsters."
The moment she finished speaking, four-legged mechanical beasts made of stone appeared in front of them.
They stood roughly waist-high, and their original designs could still be faintly recognized.
Some resembled lions, others bulls, and a few looked like crocodiles.
"They appeared!"
"Mechanical beasts?!"
...
At the same time, Kagura and Erza were also surrounded by the creatures.
"What are these things? They're incredibly hard."
Kagura had just struck one across the head with Archenemy, but the impact barely left a mark.
Her brows tightened.
"It seems I'll have to release it."
She began unwrapping the bandages restraining Archenemy.
Erza Requipped the Purgatory Armor and swung its enormous blade, forcing the beasts back.
"A dead dragon's remains didn't just become a labyrinth—they created monsters too? That's ridiculous!"
...
Misaki and Kiria of Diabolos had also been surrounded by a large number of mechanical beasts.
"Tch..."
Kiria gritted her teeth, visibly annoyed.
Misaki remained perfectly composed and laughed softly.
"What's wrong, Kiria? Are you frightened?"
"Misaki-nee! Of course not!"
Kiria knocked one of the beasts back with a knife-hand strike.
"They're just incredibly annoying."
"That much is true. These aren't ordinary monsters. They're constructed from the same material as the labyrinth's walls and floors."
Kiria angrily chopped another mechanical beast across the head.
"So my attacks don't work!"
Clang!
The sound was impressive.
The damage was not.
Misaki rested one hand on her hip and aimed her other palm toward the creature.
"Even if they're made from the same material, they clearly aren't living beings. There should be some kind of core making them move."
The assembled stone beast suddenly came apart.
A black sphere was revealed between its head and torso.
"There it is."
"As expected of Misaki-nee!!!"
Kiria sliced through the black sphere with one sharp strike, cutting it cleanly in half.
The mechanical beast collapsed into a scattered pile of stone.
...
"Lost. This is the mark I drew earlier."
"Confusing. Have I returned to the same place?"
Suzaku suddenly sniffed the air.
"Hmm... Someone is nearby."
He had caught the faint scent of a human.
"They took this path."
"Even though it looks difficult to walk through? Still, I don't believe I've gone this way before."
"Confirmed. I'll proceed down this route."
Suzaku continued exploring the labyrinth while quietly talking to himself.
...
"It's rare to find such a cute girl and such an adorable kitty, but unfortunately, we're enemies."
"What do you mean, 'unfortunately'?!"
"So I'm afraid I'll have to say goodbye to you."
"We'll see who's saying goodbye!"
After Wendy dispelled the abnormal condition, Lucy returned to normal.
"Open, Gate of the Goat! Capricorn!"
"Capricorn Star Dress!"
Capricorn appeared as golden light surrounded Lucy.
Her golden hair was woven into a braid, and she now wore a purple formal dress with white thigh-high stockings.
Dark sunglasses covered her eyes, while horn-shaped ornaments rested on her head.
"If it's only abnormal-condition Magic, then there's nothing to worry about! Wendy can support us from the rear!"
"Let's go, Capricorn!"
Wendy nodded and extended both hands as Enchantment Magic surged around her.
"Enchant everyone—Deus Corona! Deus Eques!"
"Specialized Enchantment: Speed!"
Haku had spoken too soon when he revealed that the White Tiger Dragon specialized in speed.
Both Wendy and Lucy had heard him clearly.
"Oh! Nice one, Wendy!"
Natsu immediately entered Lightning Flame Dragon Mode.
Lightning already enhanced his speed, and Wendy's Enchantment pushed it even further.
Capricorn's greatest strengths were also speed and hand-to-hand combat.
By wearing the Capricorn Star Dress, Lucy gained those same abilities.
Natsu, Lucy, and Capricorn surrounded Haku from three directions.
Haku barely avoided Natsu's Lightning Flame Dragon's Claw, only for Lucy and Capricorn to strike with simultaneous roundhouse kicks—one aimed at his face, the other at his stomach.
The blows sent him flying.
Natsu kicked off the wall and followed with Fire Dragon's Sword Horn.
Every time Haku attempted to use Doll Magic, Wendy caught the timing perfectly.
"Abnormal-Condition Defense Magic: Double Cleanse!"
A protective barrier appeared in front of all three fighters.
The battle quickly became completely one-sided.
All three of them were superior to Haku in close combat.
Once he realized his speed could no longer overwhelm them and his Doll Magic had been countered, Haku burst into tears and ran away.
Lucy and Natsu did not chase him.
Lucy rested one hand on her hip and watched him disappear.
"He was pretty strong... but I guess he really is still a kid."