"NO!"
Natsu and Gray were about to shout a warning, but they were quickly muffled by Master Bob of Blue Pegasus, who covered their mouths.
Raizel had already explained it to them earlier.
As Guild Masters, these old veterans had certainly heard of the magic sealed away by the Council.
Lullaby was indeed powerful, but its effectiveness depended entirely on the user.
If the Black Wizard Zeref himself were here playing the flute, Bob would have run away immediately.
However, it also depended on the target. Those who could become Guild Masters were no simple individuals; their Magic Power was sufficient to resist the curse to a certain degree.
Furthermore, there were no ordinary people nearby, so playing it wouldn't cause mass casualties.
Moreover, such magic relied heavily on the element of surprise.
If you were caught off guard, falling victim to it was understandable.
But if you knew about it in advance, the magic's effectiveness was greatly diminished.
As Bob would say: Have you ever heard of earplugs and sound-blocking spells?
"This is bad!" Erza and Lucy frowned deeply, still worried despite the reassurance.
Ultear, however, remained calm.
She saw Raizel lying on the tree branch above where Makarov and Kageyama were talking. He looked like he was thoroughly enjoying the show.
It seems like there's really no problem, she thought.
"Didn't I tell you to be quiet? The exciting part is just beginning," a rough voice whispered.
'This is the Guild Master of Quatro Cerberus... Goldmine!'
....
"Play it." Makarov said, watching Kageyama with his hands behind his back.
Just play it, and everything will change, Kageyama kept encouraging himself in his heart.
Makarov seemed to be able to hear Kageyama's inner thoughts.
"Nothing will change."
"Weak people will always remain weak, no matter what."
"But not all weakness is bad."
"Because humans are inherently weak creatures."
"Being alone is unsettling, which is why we need a Guild, and why we need companions."
"To live strongly, we need to support each other."
"Clumsy people always hit walls more easily than others. They might take detours, but as long as they believe in tomorrow and bravely take a step forward, strength will surge within them."
"They can live strongly with a smile, without needing to rely on a flute like this!"
Kageyama's resolve shattered. He fell weakly to his knees, lowering the flute.
"I... surrender."
Clap, clap, clap.
"Well said."
"Master, has anyone ever told you that you sound like a villain...?"
Makarov looked speechlessly at Raizel, who was clapping as he jumped down from the tree and patted the old man's shoulder.
"As expected of the Master! What you just said moved me to tears."
"Master!"
Erza, excited and moved by the speech, picked up Makarov and hugged him tight against her metal breastplate.
"So hard..." Makarov wheezed, being crushed by the armor.
"Gramps is truly amazing!" Natsu exclaimed, enthusiastically patting Makarov's head.
"Stop patting me like that!" Makarov thought to himself, 'I'm not tall to begin with; are you trying to pat me into the ground?'
"How ridiculous! All of you are just Mages who look impressive but are useless!"
Suddenly, the Lullaby flute lying on the ground began to speak. It glowed with an ominous purple light from its three eye sockets.
A giant purple magic circle appeared in the sky above the canyon.
"I can't stand watching anymore. I might as just eat you all myself..."
RUMBLE—BOOM—
The flute transformed into a giant, wooden, three-eyed demon that landed heavily on the ground, shaking the earth.
"I MUST DEVOUR YOUR SOULS!"
"How can it be so huge?!"
"What is this thing?"
"I never knew something like this was inside the flute..." Kageyama sat frozen on the ground, staring at Lullaby in terror.
"This is bad. It's a Demon from the Books of Zeref," Goldmine said with a grave expression.
Lucy looked confused and asked, "Why did the flute turn into a demon?"
Ultear shook her head. "It's more accurate to say the demon became a flute. Living Magic—this is Zeref's forbidden art."
"Whose soul should I start with?" Lullaby bent down to look at the group of mages.
"Are souls... tasty?" Natsu drooled as he asked Raizel.
"I knew he'd ask that..." Lucy sighed helplessly.
Raizel shook his head and pointed at the wooden demon.
"No idea about souls, but I think it might be delicious. You should eat it, Natsu."
"Oh! I'm getting more interested!" Natsu punched his right palm with his fist, flames igniting.
"Let's go!"
"Requip: Heaven's Wheel Armor!" Erza swiftly slashed the demon twice with her swords.
"Archenemy: Soaring Form!" Kagura followed up immediately, delivering a powerful slash to its left foot.
"Ice Make: Lance!"
"Take this—Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"
Natsu leaped high and punched Lullaby square in the face.
"You pests are so annoying!" Lullaby waved its massive hand, and the nearby mountain peak shattered into rubble.
"Ice Make: Super Freezing Ice Arrows!"
"Fire Dragon's Wing Attack!"
"You're too irritating! I'll drain all your souls!"
Lullaby prepared to activate its Curse Kill magic. Now enlarged into a giant demon, its power and range had significantly increased.
Lucy stared in shock as the surrounding plants rapidly withered.
"All the greenery is dying!"
Ultear quickly assessed the situation—the plants' life force was flowing rapidly toward the demon.
"It's being absorbed by Lullaby."
Pffft...
Squeak...
"Sounds like farting!" Natsu laughed.
"What is this noise? Where did my proud, beautiful voice go?" Lullaby panicked, clutching its throat.
Lucy snapped her fingers. "I get it! Because of the earlier attacks, it's full of holes! That's why the sound is all distorted and out of tune!"
Lucy spread her hands and complained, "And it was acting all high and mighty just a second ago..."
Ultear chuckled lightly. "Well, it is a flute after all."
"WHAT A JOKE!!!"
Lullaby couldn't accept this humiliation.
Growing even angrier, it kicked a small hill, sending debris flying.
"It's throwing a tantrum!"
"Who knew such a big guy would be so thin-skinned!" some of the Guild Masters complained.
Hearing this, Lullaby opened its mouth and swept a massive wave of green fire toward them.
"Ice Make: Ice Wall!"
Ultear reacted swiftly, forming hand seals. A massive, thick row of ice walls rose instantly, completely blocking the flames.
"So fast! To instantly use Molding Magic on that scale!"
"And such a long Ice Wall, too!"
Makarov calmly stroked his beard, pride evident on his face.
"Of course. She is our Guild's S-Class Mage."
"Damn it! Huh?"
Lullaby was about to erupt in anger again when it saw its flames being continuously sucked away.
"Great! I feel power surging through me after eating this!"
After finishing his feast, Natsu wiped his mouth with his thumb.
"Damn it, what kind of monster are you?!"
Lullaby wanted to ask who exactly was the demon here. In a rage, it punched the mountain peak where Natsu stood.
Natsu swiftly dodged and began climbing up along Lullaby's arm before leaping high into the air.
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Fairy tail digimon summoner already released! go and read it!