Late at night, Lucy, aware that Calvin had gone to the castle, hadn't yet fallen asleep. A few companions were keeping her company, helping ease her anxiety.
The inn's door finally opened as the clock neared midnight, about to cross into a new day. Calvin walked in, expressionless, and immediately took off his dark cloak.
"Did you find Lucy's keys?" Erza was the first to ask, while Lucy looked hopefully at Calvin.
With a grin, Calvin reached into his pocket and pulled out all ten keys. "When I personally step in, how could I come back empty-handed?"
Lucy hurriedly took the keys, her face full of joy and gratitude. After thanking Calvin, she couldn't contain her happiness and began dancing around. Natsu and Happy joined in, celebrating with her.
Seeing that the keys had been safely returned, Erza also felt relieved and was about to praise Calvin. However, noticing his somber expression, she held back her words. His face still showed a trace of worry, which made her hesitant to speak.
It wasn't just Erza who noticed Calvin's demeanor. Mira said directly, "Did you discover something in the castle?"
The others immediately turned their attention to Calvin. Even Lucy and Natsu, who had been celebrating, paused to listen carefully.
"I easily retrieved the keys because those people no longer need them," Calvin shrugged nonchalantly.
"They couldn't have abandoned the Eclipse Project, right? Or perhaps…" Though he didn't finish his sentence, Gray started to speculate, but everyone understood his meaning.
"That's right. The Eclipse Gate has already been unlocked. All that remains is to open it. Unless we can take control of the king's castle, no one can stop them now. I honestly don't know what to do anymore," Calvin sighed, sounding dejected.
"Although I don't agree with the plan either, aren't you being a bit too pessimistic? What you've said is all just speculation," Gray commented, perplexed by Calvin's attitude.
"Yeah, it seems like you're certain the Eclipse Project is doomed to fail, but who really knows what the future holds?" Lucy also looked confused by Calvin's certainty.
Hearing this, Calvin cast a deep, haunting glance at Lucy, sending a chill down her spine. He spoke slowly, "It's because I know the future that I'm so adamantly against the Eclipse Project."
Everyone was stunned by this revelation, looking at Calvin as if he were joking. But Calvin wasn't fazed and continued.
"Lucy, do you remember when Jellal asked you all to investigate the mysterious Zeref-like magic during the Grand Magic Games? He also asked for my help, and on July 3rd, I uncovered the truth behind that magic."
"The Eclipse Gate was created using Zeref's magic. It's because of that magic that the strange occurrences in past years took place. But on July 3rd, I found someone who had traveled back in time through the Eclipse Gate."
"And that person was you, Lucy."
Ignoring the shock and disbelief that spread across the group, Calvin pressed on with his explanation.
"Future Lucy told me that on July 7th, over ten thousand dragons will descend upon Fiore. I couldn't believe that such a massive number of dragons still existed in the world. So, the only explanation is that they traveled from four hundred years in the past to this era."
"No wonder you're so against it… but over ten thousand dragons? That's terrifying," Gray muttered, struggling to process the information. His face reflected the anxiety he felt, as did everyone else's. They were all shaken by Calvin's words.
"We should tell that knight about this immediately! Even if he's stubborn, if he knows about such a disaster, he'll surely stop the Eclipse Project," Charle suggested, now understanding why she had visions of the future.
"Arcadios is merely the one carrying out the plan. The one truly in charge is Princess Hisui. I've already spoken with her, but she doesn't believe me. She said unless I can present Future Lucy to her, she won't reconsider."
"Well, then bring Future me to her! That should be easy for you, right?" Lucy suggested.
"The problem is, Future Lucy is missing. All we found was a note with the word 'soldiers' written on it. I suspect the princess had her captured, but I searched the entire castle and couldn't find where she's being held."
"How could that be…"
"But it's not a dead end just yet. Princess Hisui mentioned that if I could prove my strength in tomorrow's final battle, she might reconsider."
"So, we have to win tomorrow no matter what!" Laxus said in a grave tone.
"Not only win, but win overwhelmingly."
...
In a dark room in Fiore, shadows enveloped the space, lit only by the faint glow of a worn-out magic lamp.
On the bed sat a cloaked woman, staring idly ahead. Not far from her, a man sat with his eyes closed, deep in thought. His long hair, tied in a ponytail, was divided distinctly into black and white halves. He wore clothes of the same pattern, and his face was adorned with strange markings.
Despite his odd appearance, his face was unmistakably identical to that of Rogue from Sabertooth.
"Rogue, how much longer do we have to stay here? I want to see my friends from Fairy Tail," the blonde woman suddenly asked, her voice full of longing.
"I'm sorry, Lucy," Rogue replied in a low voice. "But I can't let you leave. If you do, Calvin will find you immediately with his sensory abilities. He's probably already going mad trying to track you down."
"Why can't Calvin find me? He might have a way to stop those dragons!" Lucy complained.
"True, he might. But I can't let that happen, because the moment he sees you, he'll realize that you haven't met him yet since coming from the future," Rogue said softly. Still confused by his words, Lucy began to feel a sense of dread.
"What do you mean by that?"
Ignoring her question, Rogue let out a sinister laugh, sending a shiver down Lucy's spine.
"Still, keeping you locked up here forever would be inhumane. Since you're eager to see your friends, I'll send you to meet them. After all, you've outlived your usefulness."
As he spoke, Rogue stood up, dark shadows swirling ominously around his hand. Turning to face Lucy, his expression became cold and terrifying.
"Lucy, you're a good person, and so is Fairy Tail. I hope you all can meet again in heaven."
Realizing his intent, Lucy's face turned pale with terror. She scrambled toward the door, desperate to escape.
"Goodbye, Lucy Heartfilia. It was truly a long journey you took from the future."
With those words, he struck.
Blood splattered.
A lifeless body fell to the floor.